Dangote Refinery Suspends Petrol Sales in Naira Amid Labour Tensions
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced the suspension of petrol sales in naira, a move that has unsettled marketers and raised fresh concerns about fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressures.
In an email to customers at 6:42 pm on Friday, the refinery said the suspension would take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation. The notice, titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales Effective 28th September 2025”, was issued by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals.
Customers with ongoing naira-based transactions were instructed to formally request refunds. The statement read in part:
“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.
Kindly note that this suspension will be effective from Sunday, 28th September 2025. We will provide updates regarding the resumption of supply once the situation is resolved. All customers with PMS transactions in Naira who would like a refund should formally request processing.”
The announcement comes amid a bitter dispute with labour unions over the alleged mass sack of more than 800 Nigerian workers, a development that has sparked outrage and calls for government intervention.
This is not the first time the refinery has suspended local currency transactions. In March 2025, Dangote temporarily halted naira sales, citing inadequate crude-for-naira allocations to meet domestic demand. The move then stoked fears of fuel dollarisation, pushing pump prices close to N1,000 per litre.
Analysts warn the latest suspension could again destabilise the downstream sector. Jeremiah Olatide, CEO of Petroleumprice.ng, noted that petrol prices could soar above N900 per litre, stressing that Dangote Refinery had been key to keeping prices relatively lower in recent months.
The suspension also coincides with heightened industrial tensions. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Friday accused the company of anti-labour practices following the termination of hundreds of workers. Union leaders have vowed nationwide solidarity actions if the issue is not addressed.
With the refinery regarded as critical to Nigeria’s energy security, stakeholders warn that the twin crises of naira sales suspension and labour unrest could undermine government efforts to stabilise the fuel market under current reforms.
Source: Punch
