Nigerians are once again facing higher petrol costs as pump prices surged across filling stations in the nation’s capital, Abuja, on Monday, following recent disruptions in fuel supply.
Checks by The Legal Observer revealed that several Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets, including Empire, AA Rano, Shema, and MRS, adjusted their petrol prices to between ₦905 and ₦945 per litre as of October 6, 2025.
At Empire Filling Station in Gwarimpa, motorists paid the highest rate of ₦945 per litre, while MRS, Emedeb, Raniol, and Eterna sold between ₦885 and ₦910 per litre.
According to the spokesperson of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, depot prices have also increased slightly, contributing to the retail surge.
Petrol now sells for ₦844 per litre at Dangote Refinery and Raniol, ₦845 at Aiteo, and ₦850 at NIPCO depots in Lagos State.
Ukadike told The Legal Observer that the hike was linked to the recent strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), which disrupted loading and supply activities across depots.
The strike, declared over the alleged mass sacking of Nigerian workers at Dangote Refinery, lasted two days before Federal Government intervention led to a truce.
Following negotiations, both parties reached an agreement, and the strike was suspended. Dangote Refinery later expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others for their mediation efforts.
At the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31) on Monday, Vice President Kashim Shettima criticized the union’s action, saying “Nigeria is bigger than PENGASSAN.”
Responding, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo countered that “the country is also bigger than Dangote Refinery and the Presidency.”
Despite the rising prices, IPMAN President Abubakar Maigandi assured Nigerians that the situation is temporary, attributing it to panic buying and artificial scarcity.
“Our members who received products from Dangote Refinery are selling between ₦885 and ₦895 per litre. The feud between Dangote and PENGASSAN likely triggered panic buying, but I can assure you prices will normalize soon,” Maigandi told The Legal Observer.
Ukadike also confirmed to The Legal Observer that the brief strike action caused fuel shortages in Lagos and Abuja, leading to the sharp price increase witnessed at the pumps.
