|By Babatunji Wusu
The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to urgently intervene over what it described as alleged monopolistic practices threatening Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, raised the alarm at a stakeholders’ event over the weekend, warning that monopoly in the midstream and downstream petroleum industry poses a grave risk to the survival of petroleum transport operators nationwide.
Othman insisted that the association would resist any attempt to sideline or weaken transporters through unfair market dominance. He stressed the urgent need for a transparent and equitable pricing framework that guarantees sustainability and profitability in petroleum product transportation.
“Let me state clearly that the association will continue to stand firm against the marginalisation and outright emasculation of transporters by any monopolistic operators within the midstream and downstream petroleum industry,” Othman declared.
He noted that NARTO has sustained high-level diplomatic engagements with regulators and industry stakeholders to protect the interests of its members. While commending the regulatory oversight of the NMDPRA, he expressed confidence that the authority would strengthen fair pricing mechanisms to safeguard the viability of the sector.
The call for regulatory intervention comes amid fresh fuel price pressures in the Federal Capital Territory, where pump prices have climbed to between N875 and N899 per litre.
The recent hike followed a January 2026 gantry price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery, Nigeria’s 650,000-barrel-per-day refining facility. Although the refinery later announced a N25 per litre reduction in its gantry price, the adjustment has yet to reflect at retail filling stations in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, used the occasion to charge transport operators to prioritise safety on Nigerian roads. He emphasised that road safety remains a collective responsibility requiring discipline and strict compliance with traffic regulations.
In a related development, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, reassured transporters that the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to rehabilitating deteriorating federal roads across the country. The assurance was conveyed in a goodwill message delivered by the Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Alhaji Musa Babayo.
With rising fuel prices and mounting concerns over market control in the petroleum supply chain, transport operators now await decisive action from regulators to stabilise the industry and restore confidence in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.
