Multiple MRS fuel stations in Abuja were closed for two days after refined petroleum product supplies—Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)—failed to arrive, according to station managers and industry stakeholders. The disruption has also reignited concerns about downstream access to foreign exchange, coming at a time when Dangote Refinery has returned to selling refined products in dollars following a break in a prior naira-denominated arrangement.
Abuja closures linked to missing Lagos deliveries
Two managers at MRS filling stations in Abuja, speaking on condition of anonymity, said outlets shut down beginning Thursday evening and remained closed into the following period due to the absence of incoming fuel shipments.
- The managers said they had gone without fuel since Thursday.
- They reported that no tanker had supplied their stations from Lagos during the disruption.
- One manager described the situation as a supply failure tied to Lagos, adding that deliveries were not arriving.
FX access concerns as sector dollarisation returns to focus
Billy Gillis-Harry, national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, said some stations could face difficulties obtaining foreign exchange needed to buy refined products.
- He argued that the shutdowns may reflect pressure from the dollarisation of the downstream oil sector.
- While he acknowledged the risk to retailers, he said industry participants would adapt: “We will survive the situation.”
Dangote Refinery resumes dollar sales after naira-crude suspension
The Abuja supply problem is unfolding alongside changes in Nigeria’s refining and trading arrangements. The situation aligns with reports that Dangote Refinery has restarted sales of refined petroleum products priced in dollars.
- Dangote Refinery’s resumed dollar-denominated sales came after the suspension of the naira-for-crude deal between the Nigerian government and the refinery.
- Separately, the report said that fuel pricing increased on Thursday, affecting both depot and retail benchmarks.
Fuel prices rise across Abuja as depot and retail levels move differently
Prices for petrol in Abuja and surrounding areas rose after the latest domestic fuel adjustment, with depot and retail figures moving unevenly depending on the outlet type.
- Depot owners increased ex-depot prices to as high as N1,225 per litre.
- Across some filling stations in Abuja and nearby areas, retail prices climbed by roughly N40 to N50 per litre to around N1,220 per litre from about N1,175 per litre.
- At Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail outlets, prices were reported to have held steady at N1,155 per litre.
Overall, the latest round of increases placed petrol retail prices in Abuja and its environs in a range of about N1,155 to N1,220 per litre.
