The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended the sale of petrol in naira, a decision that has unsettled marketers and sparked fresh concerns about fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressures.
In an email sent to customers at 6:42 p.m. on Friday, the refinery announced that the suspension would take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation as the reason.
The notice, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025,” also directed customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to request refunds.
It stated in part:
“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. This suspension will take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025. We will provide further updates regarding the resumption of supply once the situation is resolved. All customers with PMS transactions in naira who would like refunds of their current payments should formally request processing.”
The announcement comes amid a fierce dispute between the refinery and labour unions over the alleged mass dismissal of more than 800 Nigerian workers a development that has provoked outrage and calls for government intervention.
This is not the first time the refinery has halted naira transactions. In March 2025, Dangote briefly suspended sales of refined products in naira, citing insufficient allocations under the crude-for-naira programme to meet growing domestic demand. That decision fueled concerns about the “dollarisation” of fuel sales and pushed pump prices close to ₦1,000 per litre.
Analysts warn that the latest suspension could once again destabilise the downstream sector, with fears of fresh petrol price hikes if transactions shift largely to dollars. Jeremiah Olatide, Chief Executive Officer of Petroleumprice.ng, cautioned that pump prices could exceed ₦900 per litre, noting that the Dangote Refinery has played a key role in moderating prices in recent months.
The suspension also coincides with mounting industrial tensions 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 termination of hundreds of workers. Union leaders have vowed to resist what they called “an unjust and insensitive corporate decision,” threatening nationwide solidarity action if the matter is not addressed.
With the refinery considered central to Nigeria’s energy security, industry stakeholders warn that the twin crises suspension of naira sales and escalating labour unrest could undermine government efforts to stabilise the fuel market under ongoing reforms.
