PETROAN, IPMAN Join NUPENG in Looming Petroleum Sector Shutdown
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector faces major disruptions as the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have separately announced plans to suspend operations in solidarity with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
In a statement signed by its National PRO, Dr. Joseph Obele, PETROAN revealed that members will halt the lifting and dispensing of petroleum products from Tuesday, September 9, 2025. The announcement was made by PETROAN President, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, during a nationwide briefing in Abuja.
According to Gillis-Harry, the decision supports fair competition in the downstream sector and rejects monopoly. “The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has announced a three-day forewarning of suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products commencing from the early hours of Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in their advocacy for healthy competition as against any form of monopoly in the Nigerian Petroleum downstream sector,” the statement read.
He further explained that pump attendants who are NUPENG members would also join the strike, and warned filling station owners against penalising absent workers.
PETROAN also warned that monopolistic practices, particularly by the Dangote Refinery, could drive out private depot operators, modular refineries, marketers, truck owners, and drivers, potentially triggering mass unemployment.
To forestall hardship, Gillis-Harry urged President Bola Tinubu and key petroleum regulators to intervene urgently. The group also resolved at an emergency meeting to monitor compliance nationwide with a 120-man task force if the suspension proceeds.
Meanwhile, IPMAN’s Western Zone also declared plans to shut down operations starting Monday, September 8. The group accused Dangote Refinery and MRS Energy of attempting to monopolise fuel distribution in violation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
IPMAN Chairman, Chief Oyewole Akanni, warned that the development threatens over 4,000 trucks operated by members, putting drivers, motor boys, and investors at risk.
The coordinated actions by PETROAN, IPMAN, and NUPENG could lead to nationwide fuel shortages if mediation efforts fail in the coming days.
