Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disputed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited's (NNPCL) claim of full compliance with the Federal Government's naira-for-crude programme, stating that the national oil company delivered fewer than 25% of the crude cargoes the refinery expected under the arrangement. A senior executive at the Dangote Group told Petroleumprice.ng that the refinery received only three of the 14 cargoes anticipated under the supply framework.
Dangote Executive Reveals Actual Crude Deliveries
'Out of the 14 cargoes expected under the arrangement, only three were supplied. That is not even up to 25% of the expected volume,' the official said. The refinery's response followed a statement from NNPCL spokesman Andy Odeh, who told PUNCH that the company had supplied every available naira-denominated crude cargo to Dangote Refinery and had not withheld any feedstock. Odeh added that NNPCL allocated 100% of all available naira-denominated crude cargoes to the refinery in 2026, with actual deliveries shaped by crude availability, cargo nominations, and operational scheduling on both sides.
Disagreement Over Benchmark for Compliance
The Dangote executive rejected NNPCL's framing, arguing that the measure of compliance should be the number of cargoes expected under the programme, not those NNPCL deemed available for delivery. 'The issue is straightforward. The expected cargoes were 14, and only three arrived. That is the position,' the executive said. The disagreement centres on whether NNPCL's deliveries should be judged against the total volume committed under the supply framework or against the crude the national oil company says it had available at the time. Dangote insists the former is the only relevant measure, while NNPCL's position ties its performance to operational and logistical factors outside the agreed allocation.
Deepening Rift Between Dangote and NNPC
The dispute lays bare the deepening rift between the two companies over how the naira-for-crude initiative has been implemented, and whether the volumes supplied were adequate to keep the refinery running at the scale the programme was designed to support. The development comes as the mega refinery unveiled new petrol prices on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. According to data from PetroleumPriceNG, Dangote Refinery set its petrol prices at $1,161.23 per metric tonne, translating to $16 per litre. In naira terms, the new rate translates to an ex-gantry price of N2,248 per litre.
Fuel Importers Announce Fresh Petrol Price Hike
Legit.ng earlier reported that petroleum product importers have notified marketers across Nigeria of an impending increase in petrol depot prices, a move that could push pump prices to as high as N1,400 per litre nationwide. The importers informed marketers on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that the depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, will rise from N1,230 per litre to N1,350 per litre, citing the rising cost of imported fuel cargoes. According to sources familiar with the development, the new pricing regime is expected to take effect on Friday, July 17, 2026.
