Nearly three weeks after the Dangote Refinery slashed its ex-depot price of petrol to ₦820 per litre under a logistics-free supply scheme, many of its partner filling stations have failed to reduce pump prices.
Although the refinery had projected that motorists in Lagos and the South-West would buy petrol at ₦841 per litre, most stations surveyed by Punch still sell between ₦865 and ₦870.
Checks showed that only a few MRS outlets in Lagos adjusted to ₦841. At the Alapere station, long queues of motorists stretched outside as buyers rushed to take advantage of the lower rate.
However, other stations along the same axis sold at ₦865, while in Ogun State, an MRS outlet in Olowotedo charged as high as ₦875. Heyden sold at ₦863, while Ardova and others maintained ₦865 to ₦870.
The Dangote Refinery had earlier announced that from September 15, over 1,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks would begin distributing fuel directly across Nigeria to eliminate logistics costs.
The initiative was expected to cut retail prices to ₦841 in Lagos and ₦851 in Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo and Kwara states. But three weeks later, the relief has yet to materialise.
Sunday Punch sighted several Dangote trucks on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, confirming deliveries had commenced.
A source at the refinery told Punch that many marketers had already received fresh supplies but refused to adjust prices.
“It’s unfair to keep selling at old rates. They are receiving the product at ₦820 per litre with free logistics, yet they’re still selling higher, that’s not right,” the official, who requested anonymity, said.
The source, however, admitted that the refinery could not compel marketers.
“We can’t enforce pump prices. It’s only a recommendation since marketers argue that the law does not permit us to fix pump prices, and NMDPRA seems to agree,” he explained.
Not all stakeholders support the refinery’s approach. The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria warned that Dangote’s frequent price cuts destabilise the market.
DAPPMAN Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, said, “Claims that repeated fuel price reductions by the Dangote Refinery are patriotic overlook their timing and market impact. These cuts often come when other importers have cargoes at sea or in tanks, creating price shocks that distort competition and impose financial strain on market participants, including the refinery’s own domestic customers.”
Bellnws understands that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has not altered its pump price.
NNPCL spokesperson, Andy Odeh, confirmed, “Our current pump price in Lagos remains ₦865. We have not made any changes.”
Independent marketers had earlier promised to reduce prices once they received supplies from Dangote. As of Sunday, however, no downward adjustments had been made.