In response to recent reports, the Dangote Group has clarified that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has not yet begun lifting petrol from its refinery. A statement issued by Anthony Chiejina, the Group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, addressed the misinformation published in BusinessDay Newspapers on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
The report in question claimed that NNPC had lifted refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and was selling it at ₦897 per litre. Chiejina refuted the claim, stating that there has been no lifting of PMS by NNPC from their refinery, as contractual agreements between the two parties have yet to be finalized.
“Our attention has been drawn to a misleading headline stating that NNPC has lifted petrol from Dangote Refinery. We wish to clarify that no such transaction has taken place. The issue of pricing for petrol lifted from our refinery does not arise at this time, as we are still in the process of finalizing our contract with NNPC,” Chiejina explained.
He further emphasized that the pricing of PMS in Nigeria is governed by regulatory authorities and not by individual marketers. “The PMS market is strictly regulated, a fact well known to all stakeholders in the oil sector. As such, Dangote Refinery cannot determine or influence the price of petrol. Pricing is the responsibility of the appropriate government bodies,” the statement continued.
Dangote Group urged the public to disregard the misleading report, assuring Nigerians that the refinery is committed to delivering high-quality fuel when operations commence in full.
“We remain focused on providing Nigerians with refined petroleum products of the highest standard. We urge the public to disregard any unfounded claims and trust that we will continue to operate with transparency and in line with regulatory guidelines,” the statement concluded.
