Private Depots Announce New Fuel Prices Nationwide As Dangote Refinery Petrol Unit Shutdown
- Private depot owners have increased petrol prices to N800 per litre following the planned shutdown of Dangote Refinery’s petrol-producing unit
- The new price reversal comes after a brief period of lower rates in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar
- Dangote Refinery has said the shutdown is strategic, aimed at upgrading units to boost overall output
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Once again, petrol prices in Nigeria are on the rise, this time at private depots, as traders adjust rates following the planned shutdown of the Dangote Refinery’s petrol-producing unit.
Data shows that petrol prices at several depots nationwide have increased their petrol prices above N800.
Source: Getty Images
Market operators say the repricing reflects a shift from spot-driven pricing to anticipatory risk valuation.
When Dangote refinery announced a slash of its ex-depot price to N699 many of the private depot owners also reduced to between N725 per litre and N773 per litre.
This is not the case today, as only 6 depots are now selling below as of Friday, January 1, 2026, Petroleumprice.ng data shows.
Here are the top 10 petrol prices at depots
- Pinnacle: N840
- Soroman: N805
- Matrix PH: N805
- Matrix Warri: N805
- Northwest: N805
- Sigmund: N804
- Masters: N802
- Parker: N801
- Intergrated: N800
- Eterna: N800
Dangote petrol unit shutdown confirmed
The repricing by Depots comes after Dangote Refinery confirmed a planned turnaround maintenance on its petrol unit.
The refinery’s residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) has been taken offline, while the crude distillation unit (CDU) is expected to be suspended for a few days in January, according to Energy in Africa.
Speaking to Platts, Dangote Industries Vice President Devakumar Edwin said the shutdown is strategic rather than disruptive.
He said:
“In most departments, our production levels have gone beyond 100%. We just need to remove constraints to raise overall output."
Source: Getty Images
The maintenance aims to lift the refinery’s CDU capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 700,000 bpd, reinforcing Dangote’s position as the world’s largest single-train refinery.
Industry analysts say depot owners are pricing for anticipated supply constraints, even though the refinery can still produce limited petrol volumes from secondary units.
With most private depots now selling PMS at N800 per litre, analysts warn that retail pump prices may remain under pressure until refinery operations stabilise. If the upgrade delivers as planned and output ramps up in early 2026, pricing pressure could ease.
NNPC sells petrol at N785
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) reduced its petrol pump price to N785 per litre.
This marks the third reduction in one week and represents an N35 drop from the previous price of N820 at Lagos filling stations.
NNPC has sought to stay competitive with Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and the latest price adjustment brings it closer to the N739 retail price offered by MRS Oil filling stations.
Source: Legit.ng
