Barring any last-minute changes, MRS and other partners of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are set to begin selling petrol at N739 per litre, following recent moves to lower gantry prices.
The announcement comes two days after the refinery reduced its petrol gantry price from N828 to N699 per litre. Speaking at a press briefing at the Lekki refinery on Sunday, Dangote Group President Alhaji Aliko Dangote highlighted that despite the reduced gantry prices, some filling stations were maintaining high pump prices, undermining efforts to pass cost savings to consumers.
According to Dangote, MRS stations will lead the rollout of the N739 per litre price starting Tuesday, with other partners following suit. He also alleged that certain officials had met with marketers to maintain elevated prices to frustrate the intended reduction. “We are going to use whatever resources we have to make sure we crash the price down. Within a week to 10 days, we will be able to deliver. For December and January, we don’t want people to sell petrol for more than N740 nationwide,” Dangote said.
He further urged buyers to take advantage of the lower gantry price. “We have asked anybody who can buy 10 trucks to come and buy 10 trucks at N699,” he added.
Dangote questioned the rationale behind pump prices reaching N900 per litre, pointing out that transportation from the refinery costs no more than N15 per litre. He also criticized the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for issuing 47 import licences for over seven billion litres of petrol in the first quarter of 2026, arguing that such actions undermine local investments and hurt modular refineries.
“Freight within Lagos is N10 or N15, maximum. So if it’s N10 to N15, everything is going to cost you N715. Why do you want to sell at N900? People should get the real price,” he said. Dangote also highlighted that modular refineries are struggling financially, with many on the verge of collapse due to market and regulatory pressures.
Despite these challenges, he assured that the N739 per litre price would be enforced. “Starting from Tuesday, MRS will start selling petrol at N739/litre. Definitely, we will enforce that low price. If you have your truck, you can come here and buy it. We are selling at N699. The N699 includes the percentage of NMDPRA. So what actually comes out to us is about N389 or so,” he explained.
When contacted, NMDPRA spokesman George Ene-Ita declined to comment on Dangote’s statements, saying, “For now, no comment.”
The refinery’s efforts to bring down pump prices reflect ongoing tensions between regulators, marketers, and local producers as Nigeria seeks to stabilize fuel prices and support domestic refining capacity.