Dangote Petrol Price Slashed to N739 Per Litre – War on High Pump Costs Begins
By: Abudu Olalekan
Lagos was tense Sunday. Not because of rain. Not because of traffic. Because Aliko Dangote just dropped a grenade.
At the Lekki refinery, the billionaire businessman stood before reporters. His message? Sharp. Direct. No more playing nice.
“Starting Tuesday,” he announced, “MRS stations will sell petrol at N739 per litre.”
Just like that.
Two days earlier, Dangote’s refinery had already cut its gantry price from N828 to N699. Now? They’re pushing even lower. But Dangote knows something most of us do. Some filling stations won’t budge. They’ll keep prices high. On purpose.
“I heard it myself,” he said, voice tight. “Marketers met with certain officials. Told to keep prices high. Sabotage our effort.”
He didn’t mince words.
“We won’t allow it. We’re crashing this price. N970 per litre? Gone. Finished.”
The plan’s simple. MRS leads on Tuesday. Then, other partners follow. Dangote isn’t asking for lower prices. He’s enforcing them.
“IPMAN members? We called them. Anyone with 10 trucks? Come buy. N699 per litre.”
He leaned into the microphone.
“Let’s get real. Transport from our refinery? Costs N10. Maybe N15 max. So why sell at N900? Tell me why?”
Good question. One Nigerians have screamed for years.
But Dangote wasn’t done. He turned his fire toward NMDPRA—the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
“They issued 47 import licences,” he revealed. “For first quarter of 2026. Over seven billion litres of petrol.”
He paused. Let it sink in.
“We’ve guaranteed supply! Our tanks are overflowing! Yet they’re flooding the market with imports? That’s reckless. It kills local investment.”
A bitter laugh escaped him.
“Licences usually drop mid-month. Now? They’re handing out permits for 7.5 billion litres. Despite us? Please. If it’s so profitable, why aren’t these licence holders building refineries? NNPC was the only importer before. Now? We’re one of the few producing. Those modular refineries? Collapsing. Not making a kobo.”
The room fell silent.
Dangote’s frustration was raw. But so was his resolve.
“Nigerians deserve fair prices. So we’re making it happen. N739 per litre. From Tuesday. MRS first. Then others.”
He slammed a fist lightly on the podium.
“And we will enforce it. Got a truck? Come buy from us. N699. That includes NMDPRA’s cut. What we actually see? Around N389. We’re losing money. But we’re fixing a broken system.”
Will stations comply?
Dangote thinks so. “Maybe a week. Maybe ten days. But by December, January? No station sells above N740 nationwide.”
A warning followed.
“Those sabotaging? We fight them. Hard.”
Reportersroom reached out to NMDPRA spokesman George Ene-Ita for comment. His reply? Two icy words:
“For now, no comment.”
So here we are.
A new petrol price era begins Tuesday. N739 per litre.
Will it stick? Some station owners might resist. They’ll whisper about “market forces.” But Dangote isn’t playing. He’s got trucks. He’s got product. And he’s got a promise to 200 million Nigerians.
Remember 2023? When petrol hit N1,000? When queues stretched for blocks? Dangote remembers.
This isn’t just a price cut.
It’s a revolution.
Picture Tuesday morning. Lagos. MRS stations. Long lines. Not from scarcity. From hope. People filling tanks at N739. SMS alerts pinging: “Cheaper fuel at Dangote partners!”
Other marketers watch. Calculate. Sweat.
Because if Dangote succeeds? The whole market shifts.
He knows it.
“We aren’t here to make profit now,” he said Sunday. “We’re here to build a country.”
And Nigeria? We’re watching.
Holding our breath.
Waiting for N739.
