By Obinna Uballa
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended petrol sales in naira, a decision that has unsettled marketers and raised fears of fresh volatility in fuel pricing and foreign exchange markets.
In an email to customers on Friday evening, the refinery said the suspension would take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation.
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,” asked customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to request refunds.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has 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 company stated.
This is not the first time the refinery has suspended local currency transactions. In March 2025, it briefly halted naira sales, insisting that allocations under the crude-for-naira programme were insufficient to meet growing demand. That decision fuelled worries over the dollarisation of fuel sales, pushing pump prices close to N1,000 per litre.
Analysts warn that the latest move could again trigger price instability. Chief Executive of Petroleumprice.ng, Jeremiah Olatide, according to Punch newspaper, predicted that petrol could climb above N900 per litre if sales shift predominantly to dollars.
The announcement comes amid growing labour tensions at the refinery. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Friday accused Dangote of anti-labour practices after the alleged termination of more than 800 Nigerian workers.
The union vowed to resist what it described as an “unjust and insensitive corporate decision” and threatened nationwide solidarity actions unless the matter is resolved.
With the refinery considered vital to Nigeria’s energy security, stakeholders fear the twin crises of suspended naira sales and labour unrest could undermine government efforts to stabilise the fuel market under its reform agenda.
