Dangote refinery resumes petrol sales in naira after govt intervention

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reinstated sales of petrol in naira following intervention by the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude technical committee, reversing an earlier decision to suspend local currency transactions.

In a notice issued to marketers on Saturday, the refinery confirmed that Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) could once again be purchased in naira, either for self-collection or delivery to designated depots nationwide.

The announcement came less than 24 hours after the company said it could no longer sustain naira-based sales due to the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation, advising customers to seek refunds for payments already made in local currency.

Industry analysts had cautioned that suspending naira sales could drive up pump prices, as a shift to dollar transactions would increase operating costs.

A similar pause earlier in March had seen petrol prices surge close to ₦1,000 per litre.

The refinery has also faced labour disputes in recent months.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) accused it of terminating more than 800 Nigerian workers after they joined the union, while retaining over 2,000 expatriates.

The union described the action as a violation of workers’ rights to freedom of association and threatened industrial action despite an existing court order against picketing.