Marketers may dump Dangote fuel as imported petrol costs N922/litre

•Imported PMS landing cost now cheaper than Dangote’s price as dealers import 76.84m litres in two days

Oil marketers have revealed that the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) as of Friday was N922.65 per litre.

Dealers said this cost factors in various expenses including shipping, import duties, and exchange rates.

The amount is a considerable reduction of N32.35 from the N955 per litre offered at the loading gantry of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

This decrease in landing cost is expected to influence the price at which petrol is sold to consumers and could increase marketers’ interest in returning to petrol imports.

“The lower cost of imported petrol is often an incentive to dealers and you won’t blame marketers who import the product,” a major marketer, who spoke in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.

Last Sunday, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery said the rise in petrol price from N899.50 was due to an increase in the cost of crude oil, the major component for refined petroleum products.

However, this latest decline in landing cost, which reflects the price of importing and distributing the product, signals some relief from the pressures of global market fluctuations and supply chain challenges.

But despite this reduction, the retail price of petrol in Nigeria has remained high, with major marketers continuing to sell refined products between N990 and N1,010 per litre in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the latest competency centre daily energy data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria on Friday and obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the on-spot estimated import parity into tanks was N922.65 per litre, a reduction of N21 or 2.2 per cent from the N943.75 per litre quoted on Thursday.

The average cost for 30 days rose to N939.52 per litre on Friday, up from N929.07 per litre on Thursday, and N900.74 per litre on Tuesday.

The document also noted that the price of Brent crude was benchmarked at $78.29 per barrel, down from $78.88 per barrel the previous day, with an exchange rate of N1,550 per dollar.

This cost is viewed as an improvement for importers, providing private depot owners and independent marketers with an alternative route to profitability and the opportunity to source cheaper products.

With the average ex-depot price across all locations ranging from N950 to N990 per litre, importers stand a chance to cover costs significantly lower than recent historical averages and generate sustainable margins.

The updated landing costs and aligned ex-depot pricing indicate a more profitable environment for stakeholders in the downstream oil and gas sector. However, it also highlights the ongoing influence of exchange rate fluctuations and freight costs on Nigeria’s energy market.

Further checks by our correspondent while analysing petrol price movements at loading depots for last week showed that the loading cost of the commodity was reduced by N10.

Nipco sold its product at N970 from N965 per litre earlier in the week. Aiteo closed the week at N960, while Sahara made a N20 reduction closing at N960 from N980 earlier in the week. Swift opened at N970 and closed at N960. Wosbab and AA Rano closed the week selling their products at N960 per litre.

In Port-Harcourt, Bulk Strategic Depot opened at N1,005 but closed at N981, indicating a reduction of N24. Also, depots in Delta and Calabar maintained a price range of N972 and N990.

76.84m imported petrol

Meanwhile, fresh findings have shown that oil marketers imported a total sum of 57,301 metric tonnes of fuel between Tuesday, January 21, 202,5 and Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

Going by the conversion rate of 1,341 litres to one metric tonne, it, therefore, implies that the marketers brought in about 76.84 million litres of petrol within two days.

This data sourced from the Nigerian Port Authority also showed that the vessels containing 20,400mt and 36,901mt berthed at the Apapa and Tincan ports in Lagos at 12 midnight and 3:49 pm, respectively. It was handled by Tera Shipping Limited and Peak Shipping Agency Nigeria Limited.

The document also showed that two vessels without documented capacity berthed at the Dangote terminal located at the Lekki Deep Seaport on Sunday.

But commenting on the development, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said there is an agreement by stakeholders against the importation of refined petroleum products.

Gillis-Harry, in an interview on Sunday, said the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is supposed to stop the issuance of import licenses for 180 days to prove the production capacity of the Dangote refinery.

He said, “Well, is there anybody that has landed imported fuel?”

When our correspondent informed him of the amount of litre imported in two days, the official replied, “I am surprised to hear that. I am very surprised to hear that because NMDPRA is the leader of the non-import agreement. The idea was to give the Dangote refinery 180 days to prove its production capacity.

“So I would be surprised if anybody is importing fuel now. Besides now, we have an industry stakeholder forum that was Inaugurated last week, which will direct happenings in the industry. There was an industry agreement that there should be no import, and Dangote was given a certain number of days to produce a certain quantity daily for us.”

But the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the non-import directive was a “mutual understanding” and not a binding agreement.

Ukadike, in an interview, stated, “There was no agreement like that, but it was a mutual understanding not to import. It was because, at the time, Dangote products were cheaper than imported ones.

“NMDPRA is supposed to give (licence to) anyone who can import at a cheaper rate. We all are looking at cheaper rates, and that is what is happening.”