Hardship, Anger Persist As NNPC Raises Petrol Prices Again as Dangote Fuel Hits Market

Hardship, Anger Persist As NNPC Raises Petrol Prices Again as Dangote Fuel Hits Market

The unprecedented level of hardships and anger among the masses across Nigeria seems not set to abate as petrol prices continued its rise, stirring further hikes in prices of transportation, food and other commodities.

THECONSCIENCE NG reports that this is as the Nigerian state oil firm NNPC Ltd on Monday increased the price of petrol by 11%, the second increase in two weeks and a day after it started purchasing the fuel from the giant Dangote oil refinery on the outskirts of Lagos.

Nigeria expects the 650,000 barrels per day refinery to end years of imports of gasoline, which had been subsidised for decades until President Bola Tinubu began removing support when he took office in May last year.

The price of gasoline is a sensitive issue in Nigeria because many households and small businesses use it to power generators because the majority of citizens are not connected to the national electricity grid.

On Monday, NNPC said it had increased gasoline prices from 858 naira ($0.53) a litre to 950 naira in Lagos and as high as 1,019 naira in northeastern states. It said it buys the product at 898 naira per litre from the refinery.

NNPC said it had started buying the fuel from Dangote on Sunday in U.S. dollars and that a deal to purchase gasoline in the local naira currency was still to take effect.

The latest increase is likely to add to public anger as Nigerians are already struggling with inflation of 33.4%, which has driven up transport costs and caused a cost of living crisis that led to violent protests in early August.

On Friday, a Nigerian presidential committee announced that NNPC would distribute gasoline from the $20 billion Dangote refinery to the local market, ending a deadlock that had stalled distribution.

From October NNPC will supply 385,000 barrels of crude per day to be paid for in naira by Dangote refinery, which will in turn sell its fuel in the local currency.

Earlier, in a statement on Monday morning, the NNPC gave a chart breakdown of the refined petrol product it bought from the refinery on Sunday, September 15.

The nation’s oil firm stated that it is paying the Dangote refinery in United States dollars for the September 2024 petrol offtake, adding that Naira transactions will only commence on October 1st, 2024.

The statement reads, “The NNPC Ltd. has released estimated prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol (obtained from the Dangote Refinery) in its retail stations across the country.

“The estimated prices are based on negotiated terms between NNPC Ltd. and Dangote Refinery which recognise the current international gasoline prices and the prevailing foreign exchange rate in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

“The NNPC Ltd. can confirm that it is paying Dangote Refinery in USD for September 2024 PMS offtake, as Naira transactions will only commence on October 1st, 2024.

“We reassure Nigerians that any discount from the Dangote Refinery will be passed on 100% to the general public.”

While the data of the estimated price to be sold around the country remains the same, the analysis of the transaction it had with Dangote Refinery was altered.

While the first press statement on Monday had a Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority fee of ₦8.99, the second statement showed ₦4.495.

The first statement had an inspection fee of ₦0.97, a margin fee of ₦26.48 and a distribution fee of ₦15.

In the second statement on Monday, there were no inspection and margin fees, while the distribution fee was changed to ₦42.45.

The second statement also had an additional Midstream and Gas Infrastructure Fund fee of ₦4.495.