Dangote Refinery ends festive subsidy; petrol prices realign to ₦839 per litre

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has officially ended its holiday price intervention, announcing a “modest realignment” of fuel prices. Effective immediately, the gantry price for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has moved to ₦799 per litre, with the pump price set at ₦839 per litre at MRS stations nationwide.

The adjustment marks an increase from the previous festive rate of ₦739 per litre, which was introduced by Aliko Dangote in December 2025 to cushion the effects of high household spending during the yuletide.

READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery alone cannot meet Nigeria’s fuel needs, marketers warn

Breaking Down the New Price Structure

The management clarified that the previous reduction to ₦699 (gantry) was a temporary intervention designed to promote market calm. With the festive season concluded, the refinery is shifting toward a sustainable pricing model.

READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery begins nationwide PMS sales at ₦739 per litre via MRS stations

“Marketers Are Robbing the Masses”

In a strongly worded statement, the refinery management expressed frustration with downstream players. Despite the refinery slashing gantry prices last month, many independent filling stations reportedly refused to lower their rates, pocketing the difference rather than passing savings to consumers.

The refinery noted this was the second consecutive year they absorbed high costs in the “national interest,” only for the benefit to be intercepted by middlemen.

“Many filling stations failed to reflect the new price at the pump, thereby denying Nigerians the benefits of the reduction,” the statement read.

READ ALSO: Dangote, Who Failed Nigerians: The system or the conscience, by Usman Yusuf Dole 

Commitment to Supply Stability

Despite the price hike, the refinery assured the public that fuel queues are not on the horizon. David Bird, CEO of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, confirmed that the facility is pumping approximately 50 million litres of PMS daily.

• Operational Flexibility: Bird noted that the refinery’s design allows it to process various crude feedstocks, ensuring supply remains uninterrupted even during planned maintenance.

• Shielding the Market: The refinery continues to position itself as a bulwark against international import volatility, providing a more stable pricing environment than reliance on foreign refined products.

A Tense Relationship with Marketers

This latest move is expected to reignite the friction between Dangote and oil marketers. Previous price cuts led to accusations from some marketers that the billionaire was attempting to “hijack” the downstream sector.

Dangote, however, maintains that his goal is to fight price manipulation and ensure that the Nigerian public—rather than speculators—benefits from domestic refining.