The Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) has called for restraint and dialogue in the ongoing dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), warning that the rift could undermine Nigeria’s refining breakthrough.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday and signed by its chairman, Momoh Oyarekhua, the association urged both parties to place national interest above corporate rivalry.
“The Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) notes with concern the ongoing bickering between the Dangote Refinery and DAPPMAN. While disagreements are expected in a competitive market, the current rift risks distracting the nation from a more urgent reality: Nigeria is on the cusp of a refining revolution that must not be stifled by primordial sentiments or vested interests,” the statement read in part.
The standoff between Dangote Refinery and DAPPMAN has centred on pricing, supply arrangements, and market structure. While marketers have raised concerns over fair competition and logistics costs, the refinery has insisted that domestic refining operations must be allowed to stabilise without undue interference.
CORAN warned that the escalating exchanges risk polarising the downstream oil sector, stressing that synergy—not rivalry—was essential to sustain Nigeria’s refining future.
Highlighting the country’s decades-long dependence on imported fuel despite being a leading crude producer, the group described the coming onstream of Dangote Refinery and several modular refineries as a “turning point” for Nigeria’s energy security.
“This moment represents the foundation of a new economic windfall for Nigeria. It is important for stakeholders, especially DAPPMAN members and tank farm operators, to recognise the fundamental changes in the energy value chain. CORAN urges marketers to embrace collaboration with domestic refineries to ensure their continued relevance in this new era,” the association stated.
Acknowledging DAPPMAN’s role in sustaining fuel supply during years of heavy import reliance, CORAN emphasised that indigenous refiners and the Dangote plant now represent a strategic shift towards self-sufficiency, reduced foreign exchange pressure, job creation, and affordable energy for Nigerians.
“What Nigeria cannot afford is for either side’s vested interest to derail the refining renaissance now unfolding. The path forward is clear: collaboration, not confrontation,” it added.
The association underscored that marketers remain indispensable to refining success, given their roles in product evacuation, storage, and retail distribution. It further stressed that synergy between refineries and marketers would drive efficiency, stabilise prices, and guarantee wider energy access.
Oyarekhua, in his remarks, reinforced the call for restraint, saying: “This is not the time for rivalry but for reinvention and collaboration. Refineries need marketers, and marketers need domestic supply. If we work together, Nigeria will stabilise prices, reduce forex dependence, create jobs, and deliver affordable energy. But if we allow conflict to fester, we risk suffocating this opportunity before it blossoms.”
Meanwhile, Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Thursday reaffirmed its stance in the dispute, maintaining that it would not absorb logistics costs that marketers are seeking to transfer as subsidies.
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