Originally named “The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association” –DAPPMA
This Association can be historically described as a child of providence and was spawned by the emergence of indigenous Nigerian entrepreneurs who boldly stepped in, to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in developing refined petroleum products bulk storage and distribution infrastructure in the coastal areas of the country.
Up to the twilight of the administration of the late General Sanni Abacha, in early 1998, the downstream sector of the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry was firmly under the control of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the national oil company, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its downstream subsidiary, the then Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited now re-named Petroleum Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC). The NNPC/PPMC ensured nationwide distribution through (1) the then major players in the downstream sector, namely TOTAL, TEXACO, UNIPETROL, AP, MOBIL and CONOIL who between them and (2) with the thousands of Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) registered petrol retail outlets kept the nation adequately supplied with petroleum products. The period up to 1999 had witnessed major and devastating challenges faced by NNPC/PPMC to ensure adequate products supplies from its 21 strategic depots since the pipeline networks were constantly and regularly vandalised with disruptive adverse Consequences.
Encouraged and galvanised by the then General Abdulsalam Abubakar regime’s partial liberalisation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry in 1998, whereby independent marketers briefly were licensed to import white products, indigenous entrepreneurs plunged in and some such as late Engr. George Ikemefuna Enenmoh the founder, MD/CEO of Ascon Oil Company Limited discovered that to successfully import, it was more commercially viable to own rather than lease bulk storage facilities. At the time he linked up peers like Chief Sylverius Ikenegbo Okoli, who had retired from the then National Oil and Chemical Company (NOLCHEM), now Conoil Plc and had established the West African Bitumen Company Limited (WABECO). WABECO at the time had its Bitumen Depot at the Ibru Private Jetty /Port Complex, Ibafon, Apapa Oshodi Expressway, near Tin CanIsland Port, Apapa, Lagos along with the MOBIL/ERES Bitumen Depot. The late Engr. George Enenmoh, was one of the very first indigenous entrepreneurs who commenced the construction of White Products bulk storage tank facility in 1999 (completing the first phase of the Ascon Oil Depot, Ibafon by June 2000) who also encouraged others like the 2 Bitumen Depots already established and the IBACHEM Depot (established for storage of Chemicals initially) to also convert to the storage of white petroleum products. Later entrepreneurs like Mr. Femi Otedola came on board to tap into liberalization of the downstream sector by the Federal Government in by establishing Zenon Petroleum Company and constructing its depot.
The period after 1999
Thus by the year 2000, these new Depot Companies were sourcing products from NNPC/PPMC by applying for and obtaining Coastal allocations of petroleum products which they paid for; transshipped; discharged into their bulk Storage tanks and sold/marketed to customers for retailing through petrol stations and also facilitating bulk supplies to industrial and commercial customers generally. This ensured regular and more constant supplies of petroleum products in a way and manner which ensured that the perennial petroleum products shortages/queues were becoming a thing of the past. Gradually they were capturing a sizeable chunk of the market for such products supplies. Enviable as these steps were, however, there is no gain saying the established players in the downstream sector felt threatened and surely would have moved against it.
This they did by influencing the President Olusegun Obasanjo Government to ban the Coastal/allocation and supply of Petroleum products by NNPC/PPMC to all such indigenous owned Depots alleging that these Depots were a security threat and were being used to carry out clandestine activities and to smuggle in arms and ammunition into the nation. This ban was effective December, 2000 and unfortunately remained in place for over 7 to 8 months.
Early Beginnings
It is to protect the bludgeoning local investors and their investments in the sector that informed the decision of late Engr. George Enenmoh to call on investors of like mind such as Femi Otedola, Chief S.I. C. Okoli; Chief Cletus Ibeto to form the association: Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria with the sole aim of having a common voice to respond to the Government and regulatory bodies; to protect and foster unity and cooperation amongst such entrepreneurs in the Nigerian Downstream Petroleum sector.
At inception, late Mr. George Enenmoh was the protem chairman and co-ordinator and in deference to Chief S.I. Okoli, who had retired as the MD/CEO of the then National Oil Company, one of the then major players in the sector, the former had discussed with the latter, the possibility of handing over the chairmanship of the association to enable it gain wider acceptance. This was the intention of the late Mr. George Enenmoh which he could not implement before his death in the ill-fated Bellview Airline air crash of Saturday, 22nd October, 2005 at Lisa, Ogun State which claimed his life and that of many other illustrious Nigerians.
Chief Sylverius Ikenegbo Okoli led the Association (from late 2005 to 2012) through some turbulent times which culminated in the recognition of the Association as a major force by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Following an election held on the 22nd of July, 2012, Chief Okoli was succeeded by an Executive Committee led by Prince ‘Dapo Abiodun. Giant strides were accomplished under the tenure of Prince Dapo Abiodun as Chairman, including but not limited to the recruitment of an Executive Secretary and also the final incorporation of the Association on the 28th day of November, 2017 as the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) after numerous attempts to achieve same. Also following the election of Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR as the Executive Governor of Ogun State, the Association held elections on 11th July, 2019 and a new Executive Committee, headed by Dame Mrs. Winifred Akpani took over leadership of the Association.
The growth of the Association had been sustained over the years by the valuable and major contributions of members of the various Executive Committees and whilst they compete with and amongst each other, DAPPMAN member companies speak with one voice at all times and in all situations. In the process generally portraying the Associate as a collection of highly respectable and patriotic Nigerian entrepreneurs who believe in and have shown in concrete terms their commitment to the economic development and growth of our country, Nigeria.
