- Imported Petrol Cheaper Than Dangote Fuel By ₦64 Amid Middle East Tensions
- Dangote refinery rejects claim, accuses importers of pushing misleading narrative.
- Rising crude prices may push Nigeria petrol prices toward ₦1,100 soon.
Data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria has indicated that the landing cost of imported petrol is about ₦64 cheaper per litre than petrol produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The data showed that the landing cost of imported Premium Motor Spirit stood at about ₦809.37 per litre, while the gantry price from the Dangote refinery was ₦874 per litre as of Monday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the price difference emerged after the refinery raised its ex depot petrol price from ₦774 to ₦874 per litre following a sharp rise in global crude oil prices. Brent crude climbed above $84 per barrel from below $70 in the days leading to the ongoing airstrikes involving the United States, Iran, Israel and other countries.
The adjustment quickly reflected at filling stations across the country, with pump prices rising to as high as ₦937 per litre in some locations on Tuesday.
Despite the figures released by marketers, officials of the Dangote refinery rejected claims that imported petrol was cheaper, insisting that some importers were pushing a misleading narrative to sustain fuel import licences.
An official of the refinery said, “Anybody can go to Apapa to get the landing cost, and anybody who likes should go to Iran and import. Some people just want us to depend on imports. Isn’t it time we ended that dependence on foreign products?
“Some people want importation to continue, and that’s not normal. You keep importing what can be produced locally. Is that a good thing? How do you expect our children to survive? Nigerians will import and destroy what we have locally.”
Another refinery official said the Dangote facility had helped Nigeria avoid a major fuel crisis triggered by global supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.
“Let’s think about what could have happened to Nigeria if we didn’t have a refinery in Nigeria at this time. Assuming there is no Dangote refinery in Nigeria, economic activities would have been paralysed by now.
“Many countries are not so lucky, and they are now facing long queues at filling stations. Dangote has saved Nigeria from that fuel crisis. This has taught us that there’s nothing like one’s country, and we must always be prepared,” the official said.
The association also reported that Dangote’s diesel price stood at ₦1,169.42 per litre, compared with ₦1,125.70 for imported diesel.
MEMAN warned that global crude oil prices remain under pressure due to the escalating geopolitical tensions. According to the association, Brent crude has climbed above $80 per barrel and could move toward $90, a development that may push domestic petrol prices to around ₦1,100 per litre in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority disclosed that the Dangote refinery supplied about 62 per cent of Nigeria’s petrol in January 2026.
The regulator said the country’s total daily petrol supply averaged 64.9 million litres during the period, with domestic refineries accounting for 40.1 million litres per day while imports stood at 24.8 million litres.
This marked the first time in more than a year that domestic production surpassed imports, signalling a growing shift toward local refining.
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