By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s petrol market has seen a sharp jump, with private depot owners raising the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to ₦800 per litre across key commercial centres. The hike comes after Dangote Petroleum Refinery temporarily shut down its primary petrol-producing unit for planned maintenance and strategic upgrades.
Reports from Energy in Africa indicate that the increase follows a short period of price softening between 23–24 December 2025, when ex-depot prices ranged from ₦725 per litre in Lagos depots such as Nipco, Rainoil, and Aiteo, to ₦754–₦773 per litre in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar. By late December 2025 and early January 2026, prices across major depots had aligned at the ₦800 mark.
The surge is linked directly to a scheduled turnaround maintenance at the Dangote Refinery. The refinery has taken its Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC)—the main gasoline-producing unit—offline, while the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) is also expected to be briefly suspended in early January 2026. Officials emphasise that the work is strategic, aimed at removing operational constraints and boosting overall production capacity rather than addressing an emergency.
Devakumar Edwin, Vice President of Dangote Industries, told Platts (S&P Global):
“In most departments, our production levels have gone beyond 100%. We just need to remove constraints to raise overall output.”
The upgrade is projected to increase the CDU capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 700,000 bpd, positioning the refinery for higher long-term output and improved market supply.
This development underscores ongoing volatility in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, where refinery operations and strategic maintenance cycles can trigger immediate market adjustments.
