New data shows that petrol from the Dangote Refinery is now officially more expensive than imported fuel.
While Dangote has set its new price at ₦995 per litre, the landing cost for imported petrol currently sits at approximately ₦809 per litre, making imports about ₦186 cheaper.
Effective Saturday, March 7, 2026, the price for marketers to buy petrol directly from the refinery has hit ₦995.
The refinery blames high crude oil prices and logistics costs. They noted that Nigeria is now in a "fully deregulated" market where global trends dictate the price at the pump.
Despite the hike, Dangote officials claim they have absorbed about 20% of rising costs to prevent the price from going even higher for domestic consumers.
The price gap isn't just in petrol; locally refined diesel is also currently priced higher than imported alternatives according to data from MEMAN (Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria).
Petrol Price Breakdown (March 2026)
Source Price Per LitreEstimated Retail Price ₦1,050+
