ABSTRACT

The study is designed to Evaluate the Challenges of Marketing Petroleum Product in Abia State by Independent Oil Market ( a study ofselected outlets in Umuahia), the study was meant to ascertain whether increase in price affects customers patronage, whether deregulation ofpetroleum products has significant relationship with the availability of the products, whether deregulation of the down stream sector will attract more investors to the field. The problem was generated to a controversial deregulation ofpetroleum products. Various views have been shared from proponents and opponents of deregulation. A popular opinion has been that deregulation ofpetroleum product will provide a level playing fieldfor key players in the industry to compete. Three Hypothesis were stated and result gotten is as follows:(1) Increase in the price of petroleum products affect customers patronage, (2) That deregulation of petroleum products has significant relationship with the availability of the product. (3) Deregulation of the down stream sector will not attract more investors to the field. The method adopted in collection and analysis ofdata is chi-square simple percentage, the sample frame is selected outlets ofindependent oil marketers in Umuahia from where the sample size was drawn. The study population for this study isfifty (50); i.e. 10 independent outlets, where each outlets has 1 manager and 4 assistant managers. Thereby multiplying 10 by 5. The result of the respondents collected from selfadministered questionnaire were presented in tabular form.. The hypothesis was subjected to statistical analysis using chisquare to ascertain the validity ofthe research hypothesis. From the analysis, the research established that Increase in the price of petroleum products affect customers patronage, deregulation of petroleum products has significant relationship with the availability of the products, deregulation of the down stream sector will attract more investors to thefield. The researcher commended that there should be a deregulation ofpetroleum products without any official increase in pump price, Government should set up a data bank that will check price level. Enlightenment campaign should be conducted to the various groups, community level, age grade, opinion group, community leaders against pipeline vandalization ofNNPC Right OF Way (ROW). There should be strategic alliance in the petroleum industry, where by some group of investors especially the independent oil marketers will pull their resources together to build a refinery.