Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to N839 per litre in Abuja, the nation’s capital city. The adjustment, representing a N20 rise from the previous N819 per litre, was observed at NNPC retail outlets in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.
Okay News reports that the price revision aligns with recent changes initiated by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which is owned by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest businessman and industrialist. The refinery increased its ex-gantry price—the price at which it sells fuel to marketers at its depot—from N699 per litre to N799 per litre earlier in the week. This upstream adjustment has subsequently influenced retail pricing downstream.
In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, the NNPC also raised its pump price by N50, moving from N785 to N835 per litre. Furthermore, outlets linked to the Dangote Refinery’s distribution network, such as those operated by MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, a major downstream player, have adjusted their prices to N839 per litre, up from N739. This synchronization indicates the growing influence of refinery-level pricing on the final cost to consumers.
According to a statement from the Dangote Refinery, the price increase followed the conclusion of the festive season. The refinery stated it had deliberately absorbed higher operational and logistics costs during that period to ease financial pressure on Nigerian households before reverting to market-aligned pricing. The refinery’s supply to the domestic market is closely watched due to its potential to reshape Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The latest changes signal a fresh shift in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market, which has been transitioning towards a fully market-driven pricing regime since the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023. In December 2025, the Dangote Refinery had reduced the minimum purchase order for marketers from 500,000 litres to 250,000 litres, a move aimed at broadening market participation and improving nationwide fuel availability.
 Limited, has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to N839 per litre in Abuja, the nation's capital city. The adjustment, representing a N20 rise from the previous N819 per litre, was observed at NNPC retail outlets in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.){kind=link}