The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced the suspension of petrol sales in naira, a decision that has unsettled marketers and raised fresh concerns about fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressures.
In a notice sent to customers at 6:42 p.m. on Friday, the refinery said the suspension will take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation as the reason.
The circular, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025”, asked customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to formally request refunds.
“We have been selling petroleum products in excess of our naira-crude allocations and, consequently, we are unable to sustain PMS sales in naira going forward. The suspension will be effective from Sunday, September 28, 2025. Customers who would like a refund of their current naira payments should request the processing of their refund,” the statement read.
This is not the first time the refinery has halted local currency transactions. In March 2025, Dangote briefly suspended naira-based sales, warning that crude allocations under the government’s swap programme were insufficient to meet growing demand. That decision triggered fears of “dollarisation” of the fuel market, pushing pump prices to nearly ₦1,000 per litre.
Industry analysts caution that the latest suspension could again destabilise the downstream sector. Jeremiah Olatide, CEO of Petroleumprice.ng, warned that petrol prices could soar above ₦900 per litre if sales shift predominantly to the dollar.
The announcement also comes amid escalating industrial tension at the refinery. On Friday, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) accused the company of anti-labour practices, following the alleged mass sack of more than 800 Nigerian workers.
Union leaders insist the workers were targeted for joining PENGASSAN and have threatened nationwide solidarity actions if the management fails to reverse the decision.
With the refinery considered a cornerstone of Nigeria’s energy security, stakeholders warn that the combination of suspended naira sales and labour unrest could undermine government efforts to stabilise fuel supply and pricing under ongoing reforms.
