Marketers seek inclusion in FG’s petrol discount

•Canvass 60-day extension, 30% allocation

Oil marketers have urged the Federal Government to extend its petrol discount programme to independent filling stations, warning that the current arrangement could limit its reach and deny consumers in underserved communities the benefits of the intervention.

The marketers also called for the 30-day discount window to be extended to 60 days, while seeking a 30 per cent allocation of the discounted petrol volume to outlets operated by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN).

The calls followed last week’s announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, of a petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) retail outlets, with priority given to public transport operators nationwide.

IPMAN National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, said the exclusion of independent marketers could undermine the programme’s effectiveness, particularly in communities where NNPC retail outlets have limited presence.

He argued that independent marketers, with their extensive nationwide distribution networks, were better positioned to extend the benefits of the intervention to consumers in remote and underserved areas.

“Independent oil marketers have over 90 per cent coverage and presence in the nooks and crannies of this country. You are giving NNPC that is situated only in the town. So how do the poor masses, whom you intend to ensure that this petroleum product will alleviate their sufferings, how would they now get it?” Ukadike asked.

He said the association was not opposed to the government’s policy but insisted that independent marketers should be included to ensure wider access to the discounted product.

“But it’s government policies; we are not against government policies, but let it be all-inclusive; let independent marketers be part of it,” he said.

Ukadike also urged the government to extend the discount period to 60 days, citing logistical challenges that could delay the movement of petrol from coastal depots to other parts of the country.

“And the 30 days should be extended to 60 days. Because of the circulation of petroleum products, most times it takes two weeks for a truck to leave Apapa and get to Gombe, Maiduguri, because of the bad road and all the rest of them and loading process,” he added.

Similarly, PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, urged the Federal Government to allocate 30 per cent of the discounted petrol volume to the association’s retail outlets to facilitate broader national distribution.

He said PETROAN’s extensive network of filling stations across local government areas, communities and villages would help extend the intervention beyond major cities and commercial centres.

“PETROAN can state unequivocally that its retail outlets have a presence in some of the most remote and underserved locations across Nigeria, including communities where NNPC retail outlets are not available,” Gillis-Harry said.

He added that the association’s grassroots presence positioned it to deliver the benefits of the programme to rural communities that might otherwise be left out.

Another independent marketer, Philip Bulus, welcomed the intervention but stressed the need for transparency and effective monitoring to ensure that the price reduction translates into tangible relief for consumers.

“As an independent oil marketer, I see the NNPC 30-day discount window as a welcome intervention, especially at a time when the cost of petrol is putting pressure on households, transport operators and businesses,” Bulus said.

He noted that any measure capable of reducing petrol prices, even temporarily, was worth considering, given the direct impact of fuel costs on transportation, food distribution and the general cost of living.

Bulus, however, urged the government to establish clear guidelines on the discount per litre, eligible beneficiaries, monitoring mechanisms and distribution channels to ensure that the benefits reach their intended recipients.

He said the programme’s success should not be measured solely by the volume of petrol sold at a discount but by its actual impact on transport fares, food prices, business operating costs and household purchasing power.

PETROAN also called on NNPC, transport operators, petroleum marketers and relevant government agencies to cooperate in implementing the programme effectively.

The association urged the Federal Government to assess the outcome of the 30-day intervention and consider further measures to sustain its economic benefits if it delivers measurable reductions in transportation costs and inflationary pressures.

Oyedele had clarified that the arrangement was not a fuel subsidy but a plan to sell petrol at cost, funded through NNPC’s retail margins rather than allocations from the Federal Government’s budget or the Federation Account.

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