By our reporter 5.9.2025
Scarcity of petrol is likely to hit various Nigerian cities as the Dangote refinery petrol unit has shut down for three months maintenance.
According to reports the 650, 000-barrel-per-day Dangote refinery’s petrol unit has suffered catalyst leaks and has been shut down since August 29 and it is expected to resume production on September 20.
But industry monitor, IIR Energy, says major repairs and equipment replacement could keep the gasoline unit shut for two or three months.
The Dangote refinery since coming on stream in 2024 has reshaped global gasoline trade flows, reducing imports from the European Union and United Kingdom. It has also reduced the price of petrol in Nigeria.
Meanwhile Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is set for a showdown with the Dangote refinery following disagreements on Dangote’s plan to rollout of 4,000 to 10,000 CNG-powered trucks for direct products distribution and also the company’s alleged refusal to allow truck drivers for the CNG trucks from joining the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTD), an affiliate of NUPENG.
A statement signed by William Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, president and general secretary of NUPENG, respectively, said restraining the drivers from joining the PTD is a violation of their constitutional rights and also, NUPENG accused Dangote of trying to “monopolise distribution, crush competition, and enslave the sector and raise prices, which would ultimately result in an attack on the living standards of the masses of ordinary Nigerians.”
Dangote refinery...