The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has halted the sale of petrol in naira, a decision that is already stirring unease among fuel marketers and raising fears of renewed pressure on pump prices.
In a customer advisory circulated on Friday evening, the refinery disclosed that the suspension will take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The management explained that its crude-for-naira quota, which allowed it to supply petrol locally in exchange for naira, had been completely exhausted.
“We can no longer meet petrol supply obligations in naira due to limited crude allocations under the naira-for-crude programme,” the company stated, while urging customers with pending payments in naira to apply for refunds.
The announcement has added to tensions surrounding the refinery, which is currently locked in a heated dispute with labour unions following the reported dismissal of over 800 Nigerian employees.
The move has drawn sharp criticism, with calls for government intervention to protect workers.
This is the second time in 2025 that the refinery has suspended naira-based transactions.
Earlier in March, a similar halt disrupted fuel supply and pushed pump prices close to N1,000 per litre, sparking public outcry over the increasing reliance on the dollar for petroleum sales in Nigeria.
The development coincides with growing discontent among oil workers.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has accused Dangote of anti-labour practices and threatened nationwide solidarity actions unless the company reverses its stance on the mass layoffs.
Union leaders have insisted that the refinery’s decisions are “unjust and insensitive,” adding that they will not hesitate to escalate the matter if ignored.
As the refinery grapples with both industrial disputes and currency constraints, consumers are bracing for potential price shocks that could deepen Nigeria’s economic strain.