By Ayomide Otitoju
The Dangote Refinery has refuted claims that it is selling petrol to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) at ₦898 per litre. In a statement issued late Sunday, the refinery’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, described the assertion as “misleading and mischievous.”
Chiejina stated, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement attributed to NNPCL spokesperson, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, that we sell our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at ₦898 per litre to the NNPCL. This claim is both misleading and intended to undermine the milestone achievement recorded on September 15, 2024, as we address energy insufficiency and insecurity that has plagued the nation for over five decades.”
He urged Nigerians to disregard the statement and await an official announcement from the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries. The committee, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will commence operations on October 1, 2024. Chiejina emphasized that the refinery’s current stock of crude was procured in dollars, and sales to NNPCL were also made in dollars, resulting in significant savings compared to imported fuel.
Chiejina further assured that with this step, petrol will be available in every local government area across the country, regardless of their remote locations.
This clarification follows the NNPCL’s announcement that it had begun loading the first batch of petrol from the Dangote Refinery on Sunday.
Dangote’s $20 billion refinery, located in Lagos, began operations in December 2023, with an initial production capacity of 350,000 barrels per day. The facility aims to reach its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of 2024. It has already started supplying diesel and aviation fuel to marketers, with petrol now added to its product lineup.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has long struggled with energy challenges. Its state-owned refineries remain non-operational, leaving the nation reliant on imported refined petroleum products. Since the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, petrol prices have surged from around ₦200 per litre to approximately ₦1,000 per litre, exacerbating the difficulties faced by citizens dependent on petrol to power vehicles and generators amidst unreliable electricity supply. Fuel shortages and long queues remain common.
