The pump price of petrol has gone up for the second time in three weeks, selling at N1,020 at the outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) in Lagos and N1,050 in Abuja.
On October 9, 2024, the product which previously sold for N897 per litre in Abuja was increased to N1,030 and N998 in Lagos where it formerly sold for N885.
There has been speculations about likely pump price increase as a result of NNPCL’s exit as a middleman in the Dangote Refinery purchase deal.
This implies that the national oil company will no longer cover the price gap between the facility’s price and the selling price to retailers, previously absorbing a subsidy of N133 per litre.
Experts described NNPCL’s decision as a crucial shift towards a fully deregulated oil market.
Marketers would henceforth negotiate petrol prices directly with the Dangote Refinery under a “willing buyer, willing seller” arrangement, aligning with practices for other deregulated products such as diesel and kerosene.
@Daily Trust