LAGOS, Nigeria (Sept. 5, 2024) — Dangote Group has issued a statement refuting claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has begun lifting refined petrol from its refinery. This response follows a report in BusinessDay on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, which suggested that Dangote petrol was being sold at ₦897 per liter.
In the statement, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, clarified that “NNPC has not commenced lifting of refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from our Dangote Petroleum Refinery.” He emphasized that no contract has been finalized with the NNPC regarding the supply of petrol from the refinery.
Chiejina also addressed the issue of pricing, noting that it is premature to discuss any potential petrol price from their refinery. “The issue of fixing the price of petrol lifted from our refinery does not arise, as we are yet to finalize our contract with NNPC,” he said.
Furthermore, the statement underscored that the pricing of PMS in Nigeria is heavily regulated by government authorities. “We cannot determine, fix, or influence the product price,” Chiejina said, emphasizing that this responsibility falls within the regulatory framework governing the sector.
The Dangote Group urged the public to dismiss the original BusinessDay headline as “misleading” and not reflective of the current situation.
“We are guaranteeing Nigerians of exceptionally high quality petroleum products that will be readily available all over the country,” Chiejina concluded.
