Dangote Refinery has clarified that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has not yet started lifting refined petrol from its facility, as negotiations between both parties are still ongoing.
This was disclosed by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, in a statement on Thursday.
Chiejina refuted media reports claiming that NNPC had begun the lifting of petrol, stressing that the refinery is not in a position to set the price of petrol due to the regulated nature of the sector.
“We would like to state that NNPC has not commenced lifting of refined Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from our Dangote Petroleum Refinery,” Chiejina said.
“Therefore, the issue of fixing the price of petrol lifted from our refinery does not arise, as we are yet to finalize our contract with NNPC.”
He emphasized that as a regulated sector, pricing for petrol falls under the authority of relevant government bodies, not individual companies.
“The PMS market is strictly regulated, which is known to all oil marketers and stakeholders in the sector, hence we cannot determine, fix, or influence the product price,” he added.
The Dangote Group urged the public to disregard misleading reports and assured Nigerians that once operations commence, the refinery will deliver high-quality petroleum products to meet the country’s needs.
“We are guaranteeing Nigerians of exceptionally high-quality petroleum products that will be readily available all over the country,” Chiejina assured.