By Charles Pemu 
LAGOS—Major marketers of petroleum products, despite receiving petrol from the Dangote Refinery at a cost-effective price of N820 per litre with no logistics charges, have largely failed to reduce pump prices at their filling stations, dashing consumer hopes for cheaper fuel.
A survey revealed that key partners of the Dangote Refinery, including Heyden, AP, and MRS, continued to sell petrol at the prevailing market rate of N865 per litre.
The only notable exception was a handful of MRS outlets in Lagos, such as the one in Alapere, which adjusted their price to N841 per litre, immediately drawing long queues of motorists. However, other MRS stations, like the one in Olowotedo, Ogun State, were found selling as high as N875 per litre. Heyden maintained N863, while Ardova and others sold between N865 and N870 per litre.
The lack of compliance comes nearly three weeks after Dangote announced a major initiative to lower prices. The refinery had planned to deploy over 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks for direct, logistics-free distribution to partners, aiming to cut the ex-depot price to N820 per litre.
Under the new framework, motorists in Lagos and the South-West were expected to pay N841 per litre, while those in Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Kwara states were projected to buy at N851 per litre. Despite the visible deployment of Dangote CNG trucks, the anticipated nationwide relief has not materialized.
Marketers Under Fire for Old Stock Claim
While some marketers claimed they could not reduce prices because they were still selling off old stock purchased at higher costs, a source at the Dangote Refinery refuted this, stating that many partners had already received new, cheaper supplies.
“It’s unfair to keep selling at old rates. They are receiving the product at N820 per litre with free logistics, yet they’re still selling higher, that’s not right,” the anonymous refinery official stated.
The source explained that the refinery is now limited to issuing only price recommendations, as marketers insist the law does not permit the refinery to enforce pump prices a stance the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) seems to tolerate.
Meanwhile, Dangote’s consistent price-setting role which has displaced the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) as the market trendsetter has drawn criticism from some industry stakeholders.
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), through its Executive Secretary Olufemi Adewole, recently criticized the refinery’s frequent price adjustments. Adewole argued that portraying the price cuts as patriotic overlooks their negative market impact.
“These cuts are often introduced when other importers have active cargoes at sea or in tanks, creating price shocks that distort competition and impose financial strain on market participants,” Adewole said.
NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh confirmed that the state owned company has not adjusted its own rates, stating, “Our current pump price in Lagos remains N865. We have not made any changes.”