Dangote vs Fuel Importers: Refinery Fires Back As Petrol Price Battle Intensifies
Nigeria’s fuel market has been thrown into fresh controversy after Dangote Petroleum Refinery fired back at fuel marketers who claimed imported petrol is cheaper than locally refined fuel.
The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) recently stated that the landing cost of imported petrol stands at ₦809.37 per litre, which they say is about ₦64 cheaper than petrol supplied by the Dangote refinery at ₦874 per litre.
The claim followed a ₦100 increase in Dangote’s gantry price, which moved from ₦774 to ₦874 per litre, a development that pushed pump prices in many filling stations across Nigeria to over ₦900 per litre, with some selling as high as ₦937 depending on location.
The price adjustment came amid rising global crude oil prices, which surged to around $84 per barrel following escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Iran, Israel, and other nations.
However, officials at the Dangote refinery dismissed the marketers’ claims, accusing some industry players of deliberately promoting importation to maintain their control over Nigeria’s fuel supply chain.
In a strong response, refinery officials challenged marketers to attempt importing fuel under the current global crisis.
“Anybody who likes should go to Iran and import. Some people just want us to depend on imports,” an official said.
The refinery argued that continued reliance on foreign petroleum products could harm Nigeria’s economic future, especially when the country now has the capacity to refine fuel locally.
Officials also insisted that the refinery is helping protect Nigeria from a potential fuel crisis that could have severely disrupted economic activities.
“Imagine what would have happened if Nigeria didn’t have a refinery at this time. Economic activities could have been paralysed,” another official said.
Meanwhile, MEMAN warned that the petrol market remains under pressure due to rising crude prices. Analysts say if global oil prices approach $90 per barrel, the retail price of petrol in Nigeria could climb to ₦1,100 per litre in the coming weeks.
The ongoing dispute highlights deeper tensions in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, particularly between local refining interests and import-dependent marketers.
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