Oil marketers have called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to ensure that petrol prices from the newly rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery are lower than those of the Dangote Refinery to encourage patronage.

This comes amid claims that NNPCL’s petrol price is around ₦1,045 per litre—higher than the Dangote Refinery’s ₦970 per litre for bulk buyers. However, NNPCL clarified on Wednesday that it has not commenced bulk sales or released a new pricing template, as products from the Port Harcourt refinery are currently reserved for its retail outlets.

The Port Harcourt Refinery, operating at 70% of its installed capacity, resumed production on Tuesday, producing 1.4 million litres of petrol daily alongside other products like diesel and kerosene. Despite initial optimism, oil marketers remain cautious, with some considering continued fuel importation if local prices are uncompetitive.

Recent data reveals that over 105 million litres of petrol were imported into Nigeria between November 23 and 28, reflecting marketers’ reliance on imported fuel to meet demand. Stakeholders are awaiting NNPCL’s finalized pricing, with the hope that domestic refining will help stabilize fuel costs and reduce imports.