Petroleum marketers lifting Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are now required to pay an additional N100 per litre to pick up petrol for which payments had already been processed, following the sudden upward review of the refinery’s ex-depot price.
Findings by The PUNCH showed that marketers who completed payment and processed final slips at N699 per litre are being asked to top up to N799 per litre before loading, after the refinery withdrew a temporary festive price support and invalidated previously issued loading authorisations.
The development has triggered fresh tension in the downstream sector, with dozens of trucks reportedly left stranded at the refinery’s gantry after loading was halted at midnight to reconcile outstanding volumes and payments.
The PUNCH reports that the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility, touted as a game-changer for local fuel supply, has in recent months grappled with operational constraints that have complicated its ability to meet demand while keeping prices stable.
According to industry reports, persistent technical difficulties with the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit have kept the refinery running below full capacity, potentially extending into the first half of 2026 if unresolved.
This challenge made the refinery suspend petrol sales at its gantry on Monday, nullifying all active PMS deal recaps with customers, before raising its price by N100 per litre.
In a notice to customers obtained by The PUNCH, the refinery said the earlier pricing was a deliberate intervention introduced during the festive period and could no longer be sustained.
Marketers are now required to add N100 per litre to cover the price differential, logistics, and financing costs, or pick up lower volumes based on the new price.
“Dear Valued Customer, during the recent festive period, the refinery implemented a deliberate and temporary price support intervention to cushion Nigerians at a time of heightened household spending,” the notice signed by the Group Commercial Operations Department read.
“With the festive period concluded, PMS prices have been modestly realigned to sustainable levels. Under the current alignment, our PMS gantry price is N799 per litre.”
The refinery further warned marketers that volumes on existing orders would be adjusted to reflect the new price, while unutilised loading approvals had been cancelled.
“With the festive period concluded, PMS prices have been modestly realigned to sustainable levels to support long-term market stability and affordability. Under the current alignment, our PMS gantry price is N799 per litre.
“Kindly note that you will be advised of the revised volumes for your outstanding orders based on the new price. Additionally, all ATCs/fancards not loaded have been invalidated; hence, you will need to reprogramme new ATCs to load any remaining balance volumes,” the notice read.
An earlier internal circular also confirmed that all active PMS deal recaps had been nullified. “Please note that all active PMS deal recaps are now invalid,” the refinery stated.
Meanwhile, the additional cost being borne by marketers at the gantry has swiftly filtered through to retail outlets, pushing pump prices in Abuja to as high as N910 per litre, barely hours after Dangote Petroleum Refinery reviewed its ex-depot price.
In the Federal Capital Territory, retailers wasted no time effecting price adjustments, with many stations revising their pump prices by midday on Tuesday, underscoring the speed at which changes at the refinery level now transmit to the retail market.
Market checks by our correspondent showed that Optima Energy outlets at the EFCC Junction and beside Dunamis Church were selling petrol at N910 per litre, up from N815, representing an increase of N95 or about 11.7 per cent.
Similarly, an AP filling station at the Airport Junction sold petrol at about N899 per litre, compared to N815 previously, an increase of N84 or roughly 10.3 per cent.
Other outlets adjusted prices within the N800–N850 per litre range, reflecting differences in supply costs, stock positions, and distance from depots.
Conoil stations along Airport Road sold at about N800 per litre, while Matrix outlets raised prices to N850 from N815 sold on Monday, a N35 increase or approximately 4.3 per cent. Shafa stations dispensed petrol at around N815 per litre, largely maintaining earlier price levels in some locations.
The swift response by Abuja retailers highlights the growing sensitivity of pump prices to movements at Dangote’s gantry, as the refinery increasingly sets the tone for pricing dynamics in Nigeria’s deregulated downstream petroleum market.
Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train refinery, has become a major source of locally refined petrol, significantly reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imports. However, pricing adjustments at the facility now have immediate and wide-ranging effects on the downstream market due to its dominant supply position.
