Dangote Refinery Raises Petrol Price by ₦100 Per Litre, Triggers Fresh Pressure on Nigeria’s Downstream Market

|By Babatunji Wusu

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has hiked the retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by ₦100 per litre nationwide, deepening pressure on Nigeria’s already strained downstream petroleum sector.

The company announced the price adjustment in a statement on Monday, confirming that its gantry price has risen to ₦799 per litre, while the retail pump price now stands at ₦839 per litre, up from ₦699 and ₦739 per litre respectively, which had been in effect since December 2025.

“Under the current alignment, the PMS gantry price is ₦799 per litre, while MRS retail outlets are selling at ₦839 per litre,” the refinery stated.

Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, David Bird, said the facility continues to supply about 50 million litres of PMS daily to the domestic market, stressing that nationwide evacuation and distribution remain fully operational.

However, data from energy intelligence firm Kpler indicates that the refinery recently resorted to petrol imports to supplement supply, following downtime at its Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) unit.

As of Monday night, retail filling stations across the country, including outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), were dispensing petrol at prices ranging from ₦805 to ₦830 per litre.

Industry analysts warn that the Dangote price hike is likely to cascade across the downstream sector, potentially forcing independent marketers and importers to review pump prices nationwide.

The increase marks a sharp reversal from the refinery’s earlier price position. In December 2025, Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, had publicly declared that the refinery would maintain a ₦739 per litre national retail price to undercut importers and stabilise the market.

“We don’t want people to sell petrol for more than ₦740 nationwide,” Dangote told journalists during a briefing on Sunday, December 14.

With the new pricing regime, market watchers say the refinery’s strategy has shifted from price competition to cost alignment, a move that could reshape fuel pricing dynamics across Nigeria.