Nigeria’s energy sector is bracing for fresh turbulence as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced it will suspend petrol sales in naira from Sunday, September 28, 2025 — a decision that has unsettled marketers and raised concerns about fuel pricing and foreign exchange pressure.
In an email to customers at exactly 6:42 p.m. on Friday, the refinery explained that the move became necessary after it exhausted its crude-for-naira allocation. The notice, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, was titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025.”
The company also directed customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to formally request refunds.
“We write to inform you that Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been selling petroleum products in excess of our Naira-Crude allocations and, consequently, we are unable to sustain PMS sales in Naira going forward… All customers with PMS transactions in Naira who would like a refund of their current payments should formally request the processing of their refund,” the refinery stated.
The suspension comes amid escalating tensions at the facility, where labour unions are protesting the alleged sack of more than 800 Nigerian workers. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Friday accused the refinery of anti-labour practices, vowing to resist what it described as “an unjust and insensitive corporate decision” and threatening nationwide solidarity actions.
This is not the first time the refinery has halted naira sales. In March 2025, a similar suspension sparked fears of dollarisation in the downstream sector, with petrol prices soaring close to N1,000 per litre.
Energy analysts warn that the latest decision could once again destabilise the fuel market. Jeremiah Olatide, CEO of Petroleumprice.ng, cautioned that prices could rise above N900 per litre if dollar transactions dominate, noting that the refinery had been pivotal in keeping pump prices relatively stable in recent months.
With the refinery considered central to Nigeria’s energy security, stakeholders say the dual crises of currency-based sales suspension and labour unrest could undermine government reforms aimed at stabilising the petroleum sector.