Motorists in Nigeria’s capital are shunning Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail outlets and other stations maintaining higher petrol prices, attendants told Media Talk Africa on Monday, as competitors slash pump prices following a reduction at Dangote Refinery.
At an NNPCL station in Abuja, an attendant who requested anonymity said patronage collapsed Monday afternoon. “I have hardly sold petrol to four or 10 persons since today. Our customers are complaining about the high fuel price,” the attendant said, adding they hoped for a price adjustment Tuesday. Attendants at Shema and Emedab stations reported similar declines.
While NNPCL outlets in Gwarinpa, Wuse Zones 4 and 6, and surrounding areas kept prices between ₦1,299 and ₦1,310 per litre, rival brands moved aggressively. MRS cut its price by ₦50 to ₦1,210 per litre from ₦1,260 across Abuja and its environs — the second reduction in under two weeks. AA Rano, Sharon and others lowered prices by ₦25 per litre. The new rates took effect Monday along Kubwa Expressway and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
The price war follows Dangote Refinery’s latest ex-depot price cut to ₦1,165 per litre. Depot owners have since reduced prices to at least ₦1,168 per litre. Media Talk Africa observed Dangote Refinery trucks at several Abuja retail outlets Monday.
Chinedu, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said NNPCL and some members may not yet have received or stocked product from the refinery. NNPCL spokesperson Andy Odeh did not respond to requests for comment.
The divergence has heightened concerns across the downstream sector. On Monday, Brent crude Traded near $87 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $82. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has begun stakeholder consultations on anti-competitive pricing practices, signaling regulatory scrutiny as the market adjusts.
