Dangote Refinery has raised its ex-depot petrol price by N75 to N1,350 per litre, its first adjustment in May and second in seven days, after a similar hike on April 29 moved the price from N1,200 to N1,275.
A senior refinery official confirmed that the new gantry price has been implemented across all loading channels, with marketers already adjusting their pricing templates amid tight supply conditions. “This is not an isolated change; it reflects prevailing supply and cost pressures in the system,” the official said.
Part of the pressure traces back to an operational disruption earlier this week. A temporary halt in the issuance of pro forma invoices constrained product availability and intensified upward price movements across the downstream value chain.
Global crude prices have also played a role, with Brent crude trading at $114.80 per barrel and the NNPC raising official selling prices for all 37 Nigerian crude grades for May-loading cargoes amid Middle East tensions.
The increases are already being felt at the pump. Filling stations in Lagos and Ogun states were selling at between N1,315 and N1,350 following the previous hike, while stations in the north pushed prices to around N1,400 per liter. Wednesday’s adjustment is expected to push those figures higher still.
The frequent price movements signal a transition phase in Nigeria’s deregulated fuel market, where domestic refining is beginning to replace imports but remains exposed to international cost variables, a reality that has frustrated expectations that Africa’s largest refinery would shield consumers from global volatility.
For ordinary Nigerians already contending with inflation, the concern is straightforward: higher depot prices mean higher transport fares and costlier goods. Petrol prices have surged from around N800 per liter in February 2026 to nearly N1,400, a near-doubling in just three months.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Dangote Refinery has raised petrol’s ex-depot price twice in one week, a combined N150 increase that now puts the gantry price at N1,350 per liter. Driven by rising global crude prices and an internal supply disruption, the hikes are already cascading into higher pump prices nationwide.
Despite being Nigeria’s domestic refinery and the country’s best hope for fuel price stability, Dangote’s pricing remains firmly tied to international benchmarks, meaning Nigerians are not insulated from global oil shocks.
With petrol prices nearly doubling since February, the cost-of-living squeeze shows no sign of easing.
