Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol to N1,165, Diesel to N1,570/Litre — Genuine Competition or Predatory Pricing to Crush Rivals?
On August 6, 2026, Dangote Refinery cut its ex-depot petrol price by N50 to N1,165 per litre and diesel by N80 to N1,570 per litre, the latest in a string of reductions that had already pushed Abuja pump prices from roughly N1,260 to N1,210 per litre in July. NNPC and offtakers such as MRS and AP followed with their own cuts, though many independent filling stations initially held retail prices at N1,240-N1,260, prompting commuters, Bolt drivers and tricycle operators to accuse them of profiteering and demand NMDPRA/FCCPC intervention. As Dangote's 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery has ramped up domestic supply, Nigeria's reliance on imported refined petroleum has fallen, but rival marketers and legal analysts have simultaneously raised predatory-pricing and market-domination concerns, including a published legal analysis examining whether Dangote's pricing pattern meets Nigeria's legal test for predatory conduct. IPMAN and other marketer associations have alternated between welcoming Dangote's cheaper ex-depot rates and warning that a single dominant refiner setting the market price could eventually squeeze out competitors.
