Development Economist and Policy Analyst, Professor Kenny Ife, has described the Dangote Refinery’s fuel distribution initiative as a transformational move for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
This disclosure was made by Professor Kenny during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday.
According to him, it will significantly reduce petrol prices, improve supply across the country, and bring greater transparency into the system.
“The fuel price is going to come down. That makes people have more money on their hands to spend and buy more food and all that. It’s going to become more available, which means no hoarding, not all these excuses about”
“They’re all struggling to get fuel at expensive costs and irregular supply. And then people can’t even deploy good quality equipment because they’re not sure of the standard of them, and then they’re cut off. So, all of those will disappear. What that means is companies will have better, lower costs,” he stated
According to Ife, the initiative is to benefit over 230 million Nigerians and 42 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country. It is expected to drive down fuel prices and ease inflation by increasing the availability of petrol and diesel in both urban and rural areas.
He highlighted that the rollout is also expected to create jobs and revive many petrol stations that have shut down or are currently operating below capacity.
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Beyond affordability and availability, Prof. Ife highlighted the environmental benefits of shifting toward Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) distribution. He described it as a win for sustainability, offering a cleaner, less polluting alternative to traditional fuels
While some depot owners have raised concerns about potential market disruption and the risk of being edged out, Ife dismissed those fears as “unfounded,” noting that the model allows retailers of all sizes to participate.
- He stated that it is not about monopolizing the sector. It’s about making quality fuel available to everyone, whether you’re a major distributor or a small filling station in a rural community.
- Prof. Ife added that the system supports collaboration among smaller retailers to meet minimum order quantities, making it easier for them to remain in business and serve their communities.
- He noted that this is a critical part of Nigeria’s energy transition. It’s not just about cheaper fuel, it’s about cleaner energy, better logistics, and economic growth driven by our own resources.
The Dangote Refinery’s efforts represent a major shift away from Nigeria’s dependency on imported fuel and an unclear subsidy system. The move will help eliminate hoarding and artificial scarcity, ensuring more stable and equitable access to fuel.
You don’t want to buy from Dangote. Tankers threatened strike, but the man undercut you by devising his distribution network. Now you’re crying foul.
If you establish your business, won’t you plan as well, for distribution? That’s why Dangote should ride on without batting an eyelid. These are the real enemies of the nation. Saboteurs. Get rid of them. All the major marketers have their distribution networks. So why the hues and cries about Dangote making plans to distribute his products.
After all, he did it in the cement world and the heavens did not fall. Buy from Dangote, you said no. You stole money from Nigeria and invested it outside the country, only for you to reimport what we have capacity to locally produce at exorbitant prices. Shame on you all whose stock in trade in to see this country on its knees.
Rano, asharami, total, and what have you, all have both tank farms and tankers as well for distribution. These are the people who are hell bent on importing at the expense of the masses because they have their refineries built abroad. They don’t care a hoot about the wellbeing of the downtrodden.
They should try to sell their products while Dangote should also be allowed. After all, democracy means the prevalence of the will of the majority. So, if the masses benefit more from the monopoly of the downstream sector and so want it to continue, so be it.
It’s good if the system can make it more affordable to the citizens
The danagote refinery has come to elevate Nigerians problems must especially on fuel.
Thanks God for these developments