Members of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria have announced plans to engage with Dangote Petroleum Refinery to gain clarity on its proposed nationwide direct supply of fuel to filling stations.

The Executive Secretary of MEMAN, Clement Isong, disclosed this during a webinar organised by the association on Thursday.

He added that the marketers would also engage with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and other stakeholders to better understand the details of the new supply scheme from the Dangote refinery.

Isong said the marketers would also consult with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and other relevant stakeholders to thoroughly assess and understand the Dangote refinery’s new supply arrangement.

“At this point, we are watching the market, trying to understand it. We have read it in the news. We need to understand exactly where it impacts and what it impacts before we can have some clarity as to how far it will go in terms of impact.

“And that requires a lot of discussion; discussion with Dangote himself, discussion with the authorities, discussion with other stakeholders. At some point in time, we shall engage and do what is necessary to protect the market should we have to do so. But for now, we are trying to understand exactly what this initiative is and how it will impact the market.

“It would be irresponsible of us to say anything before being clear as to exactly what it means. We are not clear, for instance, whether it means that there is an equalisation policy, whether it means the same price everywhere in the country, we don’t know. Until we have clarity as to exactly what the initiative is, before we can engage,” he said.

However, Isong described Dangote’s plan to distribute fuel using Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks as a welcome development, though he pointed out that the necessary infrastructure is still insufficient.

“CNG is a policy of the government. It’s a policy still in implementation. We do not have enough CNG infrastructure in place. So, a lot of planning has to be done to be able to implement it. Bold companies are companies that will take advantage of available opportunities. So, distribution by CNG trucks is one of the available opportunities, so far as you’re able to make it work for you,” he said.