The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have rejected the recent reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N935 per litre, calling for a more significant decrease.
The price cut, announced through a partnership between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and MRS, marks a reduction from previous prices that exceeded N1,030/litre in Lagos and N1,060/litre in Abuja and Northern states.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) had earlier confirmed the development, citing adjustments in the Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot price and uniform logistics arrangements.
According to IPMAN’s National President, Maigandi Garima, the new pricing allows marketers to sell petrol at N935 nationwide, incurring a logistics cost of N36 per litre.
However, the NLC and CSOs are far from satisfied. Speaking on Monday, NLC senior official Chris Onyeka criticized the current pricing framework, arguing that it is still burdensome for Nigerians.
He stated, “How can we be okay with a price of N935/litre of PMS? This is not the right price. The pricing is based on imported products, even though we have refining capacity within the country. Why should Nigerians bear the cost of foreign labour, freight charges, and other external factors?”
Onyeka emphasized that Nigerians deserve a price that reflects local refining costs. “We need to know the true cost of refining PMS in Nigerian refineries like the Port Harcourt refinery.
That’s the price Nigerians should be paying. This is not just about economics it’s about prioritizing the welfare of the people,” he said, calling on the government to take decisive action to alleviate the economic hardship fueled by high petrol prices.
CSOs echoed this sentiment. Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, argued that even the reduced price remains excessively high.
He noted that other countries have provided petrol at little or no cost to their citizens, leveraging revenues from petroleum derivatives to sustain their economies.
“Dangote Refinery has hinted that prices could drop as low as N650. If that’s possible, why can’t the Nigerian government do better for its citizens?”
Ibrahim Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, commended the price reduction but maintained that more could be done.
“It’s commendable that a private company like Dangote Refinery can lower prices and still remain profitable. The question is why government-owned enterprises can’t offer more relief to citizens,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has implemented a new pump price of N965/litre at its retail outlets in Abuja, down from N1,040/litre.
This marks the second reduction in two weeks. Customers welcomed the change but expressed frustration over long queues and the lack of uniform pricing across retail outlets.
One motorist remarked, “I bought petrol at N965 this morning, but the queue was unbearable. Other stations are selling at different prices, and this lack of uniformity makes it difficult for us.” Another driver, Hassan, added, “This price drop is a good step, and it should translate into lower transport costs soon.”
As the nation grapples with the impact of high fuel prices, the call for greater transparency and fairness in pricing continues to gain momentum.
Both the NLC and CSOs insist that the government must take immediate steps to align petrol prices with local realities and ease the economic strain on Nigerians.
[Punch]