Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has warned that reliance on coastal fuel transportation could significantly raise petrol prices, potentially pushing pump prices close to 1,000 naira ($0.66) per litre if the added costs are passed on to consumers.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Thursday, the company said coastal logistics could add about 75 naira per litre to the cost of premium motor spirit (PMS), compared with road-based distribution from its refinery gantry.
Dangote said its Lekki-based refinery operates a gantry facility with 91 loading bays capable of handling up to 2,900 trucks a day, evacuating more than 50 million litres of petrol and 14 million litres of diesel through round-the-clock operations.
“Gantry loading is identified as the most cost-efficient evacuation method, as it eliminates port charges, maritime levies and vessel-related costs that do not benefit end users,” the company said.
While noting that fuel marketers are free to choose between gantry and coastal loading, Dangote said the refinery places no restrictions on evacuation methods. However, it cautioned that widespread use of coastal logistics could impose heavy cost burdens on the supply chain.
Nigeria consumes about 50 million litres of petrol and 14 million litres of diesel daily, the refinery said, adding that dependence on coastal transport could result in additional annual costs of about 1.75 trillion naira.
Dangote also highlighted the impact of domestic refining on fuel prices, saying diesel prices have fallen from about 1,700 naira per litre to around 980–990 naira, while petrol prices have dropped from roughly 1,250 naira to between 839 and 900 naira per litre.
The company said local refining has helped ease pressure on foreign exchange demand and supported naira stability, underscoring the broader economic benefits of reducing fuel imports.
