CORAN Urges Dangote And Marketers To Resolve Feud

The Crude Oil Refinery Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) has appealed for peace in the growing dispute between the Dangote Refinery and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), warning that the clash could undermine Nigeria’s refining progress.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, CORAN Chairman Momoh Oyarekhua urged both parties to put national interest above rivalry. He said the dispute over pricing, supply, and market control was distracting the country from building a stable refining sector.

DAPPMAN has raised concerns about competition and supply arrangements, while Dangote insists that domestic refining should be allowed to stabilise without bearing extra costs imposed by marketers.

CORAN noted that public exchanges between the two groups risk polarising the downstream oil sector at a time when Nigeria is at the verge of reducing its reliance on fuel imports. It described the commissioning of the Dangote Refinery and the growth of modular refineries as a turning point for the energy sector.

The group urged marketers to embrace collaboration, stressing that they remain vital in storage, evacuation, and distribution of refined products. It also acknowledged DAPPMAN’s role in sustaining fuel supply during decades of import dependence but said synergy with local refineries was key to price stability and energy access.

According to CORAN, both marketers and refiners have made sacrifices for the national interest, and neither side should allow vested interests to derail what it described as a refining renaissance.

The association maintained that cooperation would drive efficiency, reduce forex pressure, create jobs, and deliver affordable energy, while rivalry could suffocate the sector before its full potential is realised.

The appeal comes as Dangote Refinery reaffirmed its stance that it would not absorb logistics costs sought by marketers, describing such demands as a disguised subsidy.