IPMAN Criticizes NNPCL Over Higher Pricing of Dangote Refinery Petrol Than Imported Products
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has expressed concerns over the pricing strategy of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) regarding petrol sourced from the Dangote Refinery. According to IPMAN, it makes no sense for NNPCL Dangote petrol pricing to be higher than that of imported fuel.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, IPMAN National Welfare Officer, John Kekeocha, questioned the logic behind NNPCL Dangote petrol pricing. He remarked, “If NNPC can sell Dangote products higher than the imported ones, it doesn’t make sense. What is the point of celebration if local production doesn’t offer a price advantage?”
The concerns stem from NNPCL’s announcement that it began loading petrol from Dangote Refinery on Sunday, purchasing it at N898 per litre. Prior to this, NNPCL retail outlets in Lagos sold imported fuel at around N855 per litre, but the new NNPCL Dangote petrol pricing sets the cost at N950 per litre in Lagos and N1,019 per litre in Borno.
However, Dangote Refinery has denied selling petrol to NNPCL at N898. The refinery’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, described NNPCL’s claims as “misleading and mischievous,” further explaining that Dangote sold the petrol in dollars with significant savings compared to what NNPCL currently pays for imports. He emphasized that the goal of the refinery is to ensure petrol availability across all regions of Nigeria, even in remote areas.
In response, NNPCL maintained that it purchased the fuel at N898 per litre and challenged the refinery to release its pricing details. NNPCL also released a breakdown of how the NNPCL Dangote petrol pricing is structured across its filling stations nationwide.
The Dangote Refinery, a $20 billion facility located in Lagos, began operations last December and is working towards reaching its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by year’s end. The refinery has already commenced supplying diesel and aviation fuel to Nigerian marketers, and petrol distribution has now begun.
Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported petroleum products, combined with the non-operational state of its government-owned refineries, has led to significant energy challenges. Since the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, the price of petrol has surged from ₦200 per litre to over ₦1,000, leaving Nigerians struggling to cope with the high costs of fuel for their vehicles and generators amid the country’s unreliable electricity supply.
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