…. Accuses NMDPRA of lacking the ability to test the quality of petrol imported
Damilola Bello
The Dangote Refinery has claimed that its petrol prices, at N960 per litre and N990 per litre for trucks, ship are cheaper than the prices of imported ones, stating that any petrol that is cheaper than the one it offers is a substandard product.
According to Dangote’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement, on Sunday: “Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks.
“This set the benchmark for our pricing, and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks,” the statement read.
Dangote Refinery which was reacting to claims from oil marketers that imported fuel is priced lower than what it is offering, however, dismissed this claims suggesting that any cheaper imports are likely to be substandard ones.
“If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than ours, then they are likely importing substandard products and working with international traders to dump low-quality fuel in the country, without considering the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles,” it added.
It further stated that the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, lacks the laboratory facilities to properly assess imported fuel quality, potentially allowing substandard products to enter the market unchecked.
The refinery defended its pricing as being in line with global standards, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to support its local refining sector.
“Countries worldwide protect their domestic industries to promote job creation and economic growth,” the statement read, citing the examples of the U.S. and Europe imposing tariffs on electric vehicles and microchips to protect their industries.
The company reiterated that its pricing strategy is both competitive and aimed at ensuring the availability of high-quality, Nigerian-refined petrol.
“We commenced sales at these rates in good faith, even without full clarity on the exchange rate we would use to pay for crude purchases,” it noted.
