Petrol price hike looms as NNPC halts naira-for-crude deal with local refineries

 The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has discontinued the naira-for-crude deal with Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local refineries. 

The development could trigger an uptick in the pump price of petrol as local refineries — including Dangote — will now rely on international suppliers for feedstock, gulping huge costs in dollars.

The NNPC reportedly told the refineries it has forward-sold all its crude, although production is now said to be higher than when the deal commenced.

Nigeria officially commenced the sale of crude oil and refined petroleum products in naira to local refineries on October 1, 2024.

The move was meant to improve supply, save the country millions of dollars in petroleum products imports, and ultimately reduce pump prices.

However, multiple sources said the initiative will be suspended until 2030.

A high-level source confirmed that the NNPC has notified Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local refiners that it will no longer provide crude oil to them, as it has forward-sold all of its crude supplies until 2030.

Despite recent attempts to bolster domestic refining capacity, the country has spent “over $4.3 billion importing 6.38 billion litres of premium motor spirit (petrol) and automotive gas oil (diesel) in just five months”, industry sources said.

The NNPC is said to be among the entities still importing products, an act backed by the recent deregulation of the downstream sector.

Another source said at a time when Nigerians are hoping for further price reductions, “the NNPC unilaterally decided to end the naira-for-crude initiative”.