ABUJA, Sept 27 (The African Portal) – The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended the sale of petrol in Nigeria’s local currency, the naira, raising fears of renewed pressure on fuel prices and the country’s fragile foreign exchange system.
In an email to customers sent on Friday evening, the refinery said the suspension would take effect from Sunday, 28 September, because it had exceeded its crude-for-naira allocation.
The statement, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, advised customers with pending naira-based transactions to seek 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 notice said. “This suspension will be effective from Sunday. We will provide further updates once the situation has been resolved.”
The decision comes at a tense moment for the refinery. Labour unions have accused management of sacking more than 800 workers – a claim the company has denied, saying only a few staff were dismissed for alleged sabotage. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria described the alleged sackings as “an unjust and insensitive corporate decision” and warned of possible nationwide action if the issue is not addressed.
It is not the first time the refinery has halted local currency sales. In March, it temporarily suspended transactions in naira, citing inadequate crude-for-naira allocations. That move fuelled concerns about the “dollarisation” of fuel sales and pushed petrol prices close to ₦1,000 ($0.67) per litre.
The refinery, which began operations in early 2024, is Africa’s largest and seen as central to Nigeria’s efforts to reduce fuel imports. Its decisions are closely watched by both consumers and policymakers in a country where petrol prices have long been politically sensitive.
