25th September 2025
Fuel marketers across Lagos, Ogun, and other key states have yet to adjust their pump prices to reflect the new rates announced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, leaving motorists to continue paying above the expected levels.
Checks by our correspondent on Wednesday showed that most filling stations in Lagos and Ogun were still dispensing petrol at an average price of N865 per litre, despite the refinery’s price drop last week.
Among Dangote’s downstream partners, including MRS, Heyden, and Ardova, none had fully complied with the new pricing regime. Heyden offered the lowest at N863 per litre, while others retained their prices between N865 and N870 per litre.
The Dangote refinery had earlier announced that from Monday, September 15, petrol prices would fall following the rollout of over 1,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to facilitate direct fuel distribution across the country. According to the refinery, the scheme would reduce the gantry price to N820 per litre, translating to lower pump prices nationwide.
Under the new pricing template, motorists in Lagos and other southwestern states were expected to buy petrol at N841 per litre, while Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Kwara states were to pay N851 per litre.
This adjustment was to take effect immediately in the selected states, with nationwide expansion planned as more trucks are deployed. However, the anticipated relief has yet to reach consumers as filling stations continue to operate at old rates.
Some marketers explained that they had not adjusted their pumps because they still held old inventory purchased at higher costs. They said the adjustment would only happen once the new supplies reach their tanks.
Stakeholders noted that the development had created a standoff in the market. Observers believe that other traders, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, may be waiting for Dangote’s partners, such as MRS, to reduce prices before following suit.
For over a year since commencing petrol production, the Dangote refinery has been at the forefront of setting market prices, displacing the NNPC from its traditional role as price setter.
When contacted, NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh confirmed that the company had not made any changes. “Our current pump price in Lagos remains N865. We have not made any changes to the price,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dangote’s frequent price cuts have not been welcomed by all stakeholders. The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria recently criticised the strategy, arguing that the timing of the refinery’s price reductions often destabilised the market.
DAPPMAN Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, argued that portraying the cuts as patriotic overlooked their wider impact. “Claims that repeated fuel price reductions by the Dangote refinery are patriotic gestures ignore their timing and market impact.
“These reductions were often strategically timed when other importers had active cargoes at sea or in tanks, creating price shocks that undermined competition and imposed financial strain on fellow market participants, including the refinery’s own domestic customers,” Adewole said.
Data from Petroleumprice.com on Tuesday showed Dangote’s ex-depot price at N824 per litre, the lowest in the market. Competitors sold higher: Integrated Oil at N836, Aiteo at N835, Pinnacle, RainOil, and First Royal at N840, and Soroman at N849. Emadeb had the highest at N873 per litre.
This divergence has raised questions about whether the market will harmonise or if price differentials will persist, leaving consumers at the mercy of individual marketers’ policies.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has indicated readiness to reduce pump prices as soon as they benefit from Dangote’s new delivery model.
IPMAN’s National President Abubakar Shettima confirmed that the CNG-powered trucks had begun deliveries to IPMAN members in Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo states.
“The prices have started coming down; even here now, when it gets to Abuja, you will see a reduction in price. Wherever Dangote discharges, all the independent marketers will follow with a change in price. Already, MRS stations have started reducing, and independent marketers are doing the same. Any marketer who applies for the product and receives it will reduce the price,” Shettima explained.
Despite the resistance, Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote has maintained his commitment to making fuel affordable for Nigerians. The introduction of CNG-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution is seen as part of a larger strategy to bypass bottlenecks in the supply chain and ensure fairer pricing nationwide.
For now, however, the implementation gap between announced reductions and retail pump prices remains a source of concern for consumers. As motorists continue to pay above the announced rates, pressure is mounting on marketers and regulators to ensure the intended benefits of the refinery’s pricing initiative are felt at the pumps.
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