KEY POINTS
- Dangote Refinery sales resume under controlled distribution model.
- Only major marketers and depot owners can lift products directly.
- Dangote Refinery sales framework keeps gantry price at N774 per litre.
Dangote Refinery has resumed the sale of Premium Motor Spirit under a revised distribution framework that restricts direct access to major marketers and depot owners, marking a shift in Nigeria’s downstream fuel market.
The arrangement, endorsed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, replaces the broader sales structure that previously allowed independent marketers to lift products directly from the refinery.
Industry participants say the updated model mirrors a controlled framework introduced in October 2025, when access to refined products was limited to selected large buyers.
Dangote Refinery Sales Shift to Majors
Major marketers cleared to lift products include Mobil/11 Plc, Total, Matrix, Rainoil, Nipco, Ardova, Bovas, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NNPC and MRS, among others. Under the new structure, independent marketers will source fuel through depot operators rather than directly from Dangote Refinery.
Olajide Jeremiah, chief executive of Petroleumprice.ng, said the refinery’s gantry price remains N774 per litre. However, only approved depot owners and recognized major marketers with established infrastructure can now access supply.
The refinery will distribute products via coastal shipments, ship-based transactions and gantry loading for authorized buyers. Depot operators will then determine ex-depot pricing.
Pricing Signals and Market Impact
Market trackers say that early depot-level changes point to N800 per litre becoming a standard price in Lagos, while prices in Warri, Port Harcourt, and Abuja are moving closer to N820 per liter.
Supporters say the concept might help control the flow of goods and make prices less volatile. Colman Obasi, president of the Oil and Gas Services Providers Association of Nigeria, said the measure was good since it may help stabilize distribution in a deregulated environment.
Meanwhile, NMDPRA convened wholesale suppliers in Abuja to discuss supply sufficiency, pricing transparency and compliance. The regulator said continued engagement aims to strengthen efficiency and long-term sustainability in the sector.
For independent marketers, the revised Dangote Refinery sales framework signals a more centralized structure in which depot owners and major marketers play a larger role in supply distribution and price formation nationwide.
