The Dangote Refinery has dismissed claims made by Mr. Olufemi Soneye, spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), that it sells Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to NNPCL at N898 per litre. In a press statement released on Sunday, September 15, 2024, by Anthony Chiejina, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, the refinery described the statement as “misleading and mischievous,” aimed at undermining the significant progress made towards addressing the nation’s long-standing energy insufficiency.
Chiejina emphasized that the refinery’s current stock of crude oil was procured in dollars and sold to the NNPCL with considerable savings compared to their existing import costs. “We sold the products to NNPCL in dollars with a lot of savings against what they are currently importing,” Chiejina noted.
He further urged Nigerians to disregard the misinformation and await a formal announcement from the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-based crude sales to local refineries. This committee, appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will make a final decision on the pricing of PMS, expected to commence from October 1, 2024.
The statement reassured Nigerians of the availability of quality petroleum products and pledged to end the recurring fuel scarcity nationwide, including in remote local government areas.
“We remain committed to ensuring the availability of fuel across every local government area of the country and putting an end to the endemic fuel scarcity,” the statement added.
The Dangote Refinery’s response comes amid growing anticipation of a new era in Nigeria’s petroleum sector following recent developments in local crude processing.
