Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has expanded its free petroleum product delivery initiative to Kano, Imo, Anambra and Nasarawa states, a move expected to reduce distribution costs for independent petroleum marketers and create room for lower petrol prices at the pump.

The initiative, which began with deliveries to Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna, Abuja and Delta states, is designed to bring petroleum products closer to marketers and retailers while removing the cost of transporting products over long distances from the refinery to various parts of the country.

Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Oil & Gas, WAEP and Fertiliser, Fatima Aliko Dangote, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the benefits of domestic refining translate into tangible savings for businesses and consumers.

National Publicity Secretary and Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, said the initiative addresses a longstanding challenge in the petroleum products distribution chain, where marketers commit substantial funds to purchasing products and may then have to wait extended periods before their orders are loaded and transported.

According to him, the refinery’s delivery arrangement reduces the period for which marketers’ funds remain tied up, improves cash flow and allows businesses to deploy their capital more efficiently.

Ukadike described the development as a practical demonstration of the benefits of competition and deregulation in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.