Dangote Refinery Suspends Petrol Sales In Naira
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended petrol sales in naira due to exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation.
The suspension, effective September 28, 2025, affects naira-based transactions, and customers are advised to request refunds – the company noted in an email notice sent to its customers on Friday evening.
This move has raised concerns about fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressure.
The refinery cited inadequate crude allocation under the crude-for-naira programme as the reason for the suspension.
“We are unable to sustain PMS sales in Naira going forward,” the company stated in the notice, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals.
The notice titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025,” partly read: “We write to inform you that Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been selling petroleum products in excess of our Naira-Crude allocations and, consequently, we are unable to sustain PMS sales in Naira going forward.
“Kindly note that this suspension of Naira sales for PMS will be effective from Sunday, 28th of September, 2025. We will provide further updates regarding the resumption of supply once the situation has been resolved.
“All customers with PMS transactions in Naira who would like a refund of their current payments should formally request the processing of their refund.”
This development coincides with a dispute between the refinery and labour unions over alleged mass sack of over 800 Nigerian workers.
While the unions have threatened nationwide solidarity actions if the matter is not addressed, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has provided clarifications, adding that it was reorganise its workforce.
The suspension may impact petrol prices, with potential price increases above N900 per litre if transactions shift to dollars.
This is not the first time Dangote Refinery has suspended local currency transactions, having done so in March 2025 due to similar allocation issues.
Naija News House had reported that the management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery officially responded to reports of mass layoffs, describing the action as an ongoing reorganisation exercise.
The company stressed that the move was aimed at safeguarding the facility and ensuring operational efficiency.
In a statement issued by the management on Friday, titled “Dangote Petroleum Refinery Reorganisation: Commitment to Safety, Integrity and Workers’ Rights,” the refinery had explained that the decision was necessitated by repeated acts of sabotage in some units of the facility, which posed serious safety risks and disrupted operations.
“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify recent reports concerning the ongoing reorganisation within its facility.
“This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency,” it said.
“The foregoing decision was taken in the best interest of the Refinery as result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the Refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns.”
The refinery had stated that it remains vigilant regarding its internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of what it described as a strategic national asset.
According to the statement, protecting the refinery is crucial not just for Nigerians but also for Africa’s energy independence and the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on it.
The management had further assured that over 3000 Nigerians are actively employed at the refinery, with only a “very small number” affected by the restructuring. It added that recruitment is ongoing through graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire processes.
The refinery had reportedly dismissed all Nigerian workers less than 24 hours after 90% of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The union’s president, Festus Osifo, had confirmed the development, stating, “Yes, it is true. We saw the letter late last night (Wednesday). I can assure you that they will recall all of them.”
