Date: August 31, 2026
Reporter: Kim White
The price of petrol has risen sharply in parts of Nigeria, with motorists in Abuja paying as much as ₦1,350 per litre after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery implemented another increase in its gantry price.
The latest increase has triggered fresh concerns about the rising cost of transportation, food and other essential goods as households across the country continue to struggle with high living costs. Checks in Abuja, Enugu and Ebonyi showed that several filling stations increased their pump prices over the weekend and on Monday, with some locations recording increases of up to ₦100 per litre within a 24-hour period.
In parts of the Federal Capital Territory, petrol was being sold between ₦1,280 and ₦1,350 per litre, while several major filling stations in Enugu increased their prices to around ₦1,330 per litre.
The latest round of increases began on Sunday, August 30, when some filling stations adjusted their prices from approximately ₦1,230 to ₦1,300 per litre. By Monday morning, some outlets had raised prices again to between ₦1,310 and ₦1,350, with marketers warning that further adjustments could follow depending on their cost of obtaining new supplies.
In Enugu, Pinnacle Oil and Gas at New Haven and AYM Shafa along the Enugu-Abakaliki Federal Highway reportedly increased their petrol prices from about ₦1,240 to ₦1,330 per litre in less than 24 hours.
Similar increases were recorded across Abuja. Eterna sold petrol at ₦1,320 per litre, while Gegu Oil and Salbas Oil sold at ₦1,310 and ₦1,330 respectively. Nipco and AY Shafa outlets were selling at ₦1,350 per litre, while TotalEnergies was offering petrol at a comparatively lower price of ₦1,280 per litre.
The latest pump-price adjustments followed a series of increases by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which raised its gantry price several times within approximately one week.
According to Chinedu Ukadike, National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, the refinery initially increased its gantry price from ₦1,165 to ₦1,185 per litre. It subsequently raised the price to ₦1,200 before the latest increase took it to ₦1,265 per litre.
The cumulative increase over the period amounts to ₦100 per litre, putting additional pressure on marketers whose operating costs are closely tied to the price they pay for petrol at the refinery.
Ukadike said the repeated changes were making it increasingly difficult for marketers to maintain stable pump prices. He explained that marketers could not continue selling petrol below their replacement cost because doing so would make it difficult to purchase new supplies when their existing stock ran out.
The rapid changes have also created uncertainty for businesses and consumers, particularly because petrol remains a major component of Nigeria's transportation and distribution system.
A rise in the price of petrol can quickly affect the wider economy because commercial transport operators, logistics companies, farmers, traders and manufacturers all depend to varying degrees on petroleum products.
For ordinary Nigerians, the immediate concern is the potential increase in transportation fares. Commuters who left their homes before the latest price adjustments could find themselves paying more for their journey home as transport operators respond to higher fuel costs.
Higher transportation expenses could subsequently feed into the prices of food and other consumer goods as traders and distributors pass increased logistics costs on to customers.
The situation has already generated frustration among motorists.
One motorist who spoke to SaharaReporters at an AY Shafa filling station criticized the frequency of petrol-price increases and called on the Federal Government to intervene.
The motorist said the rising cost of fuel was making it increasingly difficult for families to afford basic necessities and urged the government to take steps to stabilize the market.
The latest developments come at a particularly difficult time for Nigerian households, many of which are already dealing with elevated food prices and transportation costs.
The increases also highlight the complicated dynamics of Nigeria's deregulated downstream petroleum market. Although the country now has significant domestic refining capacity through the Dangote refinery, changes in the cost of crude oil, logistics, inventory and replacement supplies can still influence the final price paid by consumers.
The Dangote refinery has defended its recent price adjustments, explaining that the cost of crude purchased earlier and the time required to source, transport and deliver crude to the refinery can affect the price of finished petroleum products.
The explanation comes amid renewed attention to international oil markets following the escalation of military tensions involving the United States and Iran. The conflict has increased uncertainty surrounding global crude supplies and shipping routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the recent increase in Dangote's petrol price has also generated debate because international crude prices have not necessarily moved in the same direction as the domestic petrol price. Earlier in August, the refinery raised its gantry price from ₦1,185 to ₦1,200 even as international crude prices were falling.
Industry analysts say there can be a time lag between international crude prices and the cost of petrol produced from crude that was purchased earlier. Refiners may therefore continue to face higher costs even when global benchmark prices begin to decline.
The latest ₦65 increase from ₦1,200 to ₦1,265 represented the largest of the refinery's three recent adjustments. The refinery's three increases together pushed its gantry price up by ₦100 per litre from the August 21 level.
The increases have also renewed questions about the benefits Nigerians expected from increased domestic refining.
The Dangote refinery was widely viewed as a potential turning point for Nigeria's petroleum industry because its large capacity could reduce the country's reliance on imported refined petroleum products.
The facility has a refining capacity of approximately 650,000 barrels per day and has become one of the largest refineries in the world. Its emergence has significantly changed the structure of Nigeria's fuel market, but consumers continue to be exposed to fluctuations in crude prices, operating costs and market conditions.
Meanwhile, some Nigerian petroleum marketers have adjusted their prices independently depending on their supply costs, location and available inventory. This explains why petrol prices can differ substantially between filling stations even within the same city.
In Abuja, for example, motorists were encountering prices ranging from about ₦1,280 to ₦1,350 per litre on Monday.
The latest increases could also have political consequences as Nigerians continue to debate the government's handling of fuel prices and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
Calls for government intervention are likely to intensify if prices continue rising, particularly if higher petrol costs begin producing another significant increase in transportation fares and food prices.
The government faces a difficult balance between allowing market forces to determine petroleum prices and protecting consumers from sudden increases that can have widespread economic consequences.
For marketers, however, selling below their replacement cost is considered unsustainable because they must eventually purchase new stock at the prevailing wholesale price.
The situation means that the price Nigerians see at filling stations can continue to change as marketers replenish their supplies.
For now, motorists in Abuja and several other parts of the country are facing a new reality of petrol selling at or above ₦1,300 per litre, with some filling stations already charging ₦1,350.
As households struggle to absorb the latest increase, attention is turning to the Federal Government and petroleum industry regulators to determine whether further price increases can be prevented.
The latest development has once again demonstrated the central role petrol continues to play in Nigeria's economy. Any significant change in its price quickly affects transportation, food distribution, business operations and household budgets.
With the Dangote refinery's gantry price now at ₦1,265 per litre and retail prices reaching ₦1,350 in parts of Abuja, Nigerians are bracing for the possibility that the latest increase could lead to another round of higher costs across the economy if supply and market conditions remain unchanged.