Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, announced on 14 December 2025 that petrol from his refinery will soon retail at N739 per litre nationwide, starting with MRS filling stations from Tuesday. The move marks the facility’s intensified effort to pass recent reductions from the refinery gantry—the loading bay price—directly to consumers.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lekki, Dangote revealed that the refinery’s ex-depot price now stands at N699 per litre, down from N828 earlier in the month. This cut, effective from 11 December 2025, represents the 20th pricing adjustment this year, as reported by Punch, Daily Trust, and Vanguard. With transportation costs within Lagos adding no more than N15 per litre, Dangote argued that retail prices around N715 are feasible, noting that some stations nevertheless continue to sell above N900.
“We are going to use whatever resources that we have to make sure that we crash the price down,” Dangote stated. He alleged that certain marketers, encouraged by unnamed officials, are resisting lower prices to undermine the reductions. While not providing specific evidence for the claim, he extended an open invitation to independent marketers, including IPMAN members, to lift product directly at N699, emphasising open access for all bulk buyers.
The initiative will begin with MRS outlets in Lagos, with other partners expected to follow. The goal is for no station to exceed N740 during December and January. Dangote also criticised the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for issuing 47 import licences for over 7.5 billion litres in the first quarter of 2026. He claimed this practice discourages local refining and artificially sustains imports despite sufficient domestic supply. The NMDPRA offered no immediate comment when contacted.
This development follows the refinery’s aggressive pricing strategy amid competition with imports and ongoing efforts to curb smuggling, as Nigerian fuel remains significantly cheaper than in neighbouring countries. As Nigeria’s largest refinery ramps up output—recently hitting 70 million litres daily of combined products—the push for lower retail prices could provide significant relief to consumers grappling with high transportation costs, potentially creating positive ripple effects across the economy.
