Nigerians slam Dangote refinery over fuel price secrecy

Nigerians have slammed Dangote Refinery over its refusal to reveal its Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) price months after the company began fuel distribution.

This comes after Dangote Group on Saturday, through its official X account, denied claims by petroleum marketers that Dangote PMS is sold between N1,115 and N1,028 per litre.

Yakubu Suleiman, National Assistant Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said on Friday, during an interview with Arise Television, that the price of Dangote Petrol was higher than alternative sources.

Suleiman said that the Dangote petrol price is between N1,115 and N1,028 per litre.

However, Dangote described petrol marketers’ claims as ‘fake news’.

In reaction, Nigerians have demanded transparency and openness on the refinery’s fuel price template.

Reacting on Saturday, Nigerians on X told Dangote Refinery to reveal its fuel price rather than operating in secrecy.

@Olurunwababs: “It is laughable to debunk a claim as fake, then refuse to disclose how much it is to buy from Dangote Refinery!

“Dangote Refinery should be transparent about its fuel price.

“What DR needs to do is tell us how much they sell fuel. That way, we will have a full picture of what is going on!”

@Abdul_A_Bello: “Just tell us how much you are selling from your depot.”.

@Abbaaudu: “Dangote’s reluctance to publicly disclose the price of his petroleum products raises questions. If his refinery produces at a lower cost, why not transparently announce prices to attract local buyers and reduce imports? The secrecy fuels speculation about potential market dominance or unseen factors at play.

“Just tell us the price! A simple and straightforward question, he wrote on his X account.”

Recall that upon the lifting of Dangote Petrol on September 15 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had disclosed that it bought fuel at the 650,000 barrels per day Lagos-based refinery at N898 per litre, however Dangote refuted the claim, though it failed to disclose the exact figure.

This comes as Nigerians struggle to buy petrol at between N1025 and N1300 per litre nationwide amid incessant petrol price hikes in the last few months.