By Fatima Mukhtar
Despite the recent reduction in Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot price and the introduction of a free delivery plan, petrol prices across major cities in Nigeria remain as high as ₦865 per litre.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery had earlier announced a logistics-free delivery offer to independent and major marketers, pegging the ex-depot price at ₦820 per litre. The move was expected to bring down the pump price to about ₦841 in Lagos, ₦851 in the South-South states such as Rivers, Edo, and Delta, and around ₦861 in northern states.
However, checks at several filling stations across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano on Monday showed that most retailers are still selling at between ₦860 and ₦870 per litre. Only a few outlets, including some MRS stations in Lagos, have adjusted their prices to reflect the reduction.
Marketers have attributed the slow response to the need to sell off old stock bought at higher prices, while others argue that pricing remains deregulated and dependent on market dynamics.
Industry observers say the development highlights the ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, particularly the gap between refinery pricing policies and actual pump prices.
Meanwhile, many consumers expressed disappointment that the refinery’s intervention has yet to provide the expected relief at filling stations, despite assurances that the free delivery plan would ease distribution costs nationwide.
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