Business
Economy: Buhari commends Nigerians’ patience, orders release of new buses
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday thanked Nigerians for their patience as the nation continues to witness economic challenges.
He also directed the release of mass transit buses to ease the transportation challenges in the country.
Buhari spoke at the virtual unveiling of the National Gas Expansion Programme and National Auto-gas Roll-out Initiative at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President also thanked members of the organised labour for their “maturity and patriotism.”
The statement was titled “Economy: President Buhari appreciates Nigerians for patience, urges more use of gas as alternative to petrol.”
It quoted the President as saying “Let me now express my deep appreciation to Nigerians for their patience, and organised labour for its maturity and patriotism as we collectively navigate these global economic and other challenges.”
He noted that the natural gas resources, which Nigeria is endowed with have hitherto been used sub-optimally as a result of a dearth of gas processing facilities and infrastructural connectivity for effective and optimal domestic utilisation.
He said with a proven reserve of about 203 trillion cubic feet and the additional 600 TCF ranking Nigeria as the 9th in the world, there was the need for domestic gas expansion and utilisation.
He also said the deregulation of the downstream sector had exposed many to price volatility in the global market.
Buhari said attention should be shifted to more affordable alternative for energy, especially with Nigeria’s heavy reserve.
He added, “Therefore, the roll-out of the National Gas Expansion Programme, Auto-gas initiative is coming at the right time, especially in light of global crude oil market fluctuations coupled with the full deregulation of the local PMS market.
“These developments have made it imperative to focus on gas as an alternative fuel to move Nigeria from the conventional dependence on white products for autos and prime-movers of industrial applications, to cleaner, more available, accessible and affordable energy source.
“The outcome will not only cushion the effect of the downstream deregulation that this government has to painfully implement, but also create new markets and enormous job opportunities for our people.”
He said the auto-gas initiative would lead to increased domestic gas utilisation and enrich the trajectory of national economic growth and development.
“I, therefore, encourage everyone to embrace gas in form of LPG, CNG and LNG as an alternative fuel for autos and other prime-movers.
“The Minister of State Petroleum Resources is hereby directed to commence the process of hand over of mass transit buses to organised labour as part of our government’s pledge to continue providing support that will ease the transportation challenges Nigerians are facing at this time.”
Business
Dangote refinery increases petrol price from N899 to N955/litre
Dangote refinery increases petrol price from N899 to N955/litre
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced an increase in the cost of lifting its petrol from N899 per litre to N955.
This also affirmed the projection of oil marketers and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria that Nigerians should gear up for an imminent hike in the pump price of fuel.
This is coming following the latest rise in the cost of crude oil in the international market.
Dangote refinery in a notice on Friday titled, “Communication on PMS Price Review”, said the new pricing structure of N955 per litre was for customers purchasing between two million and 4.99 million litres.
Bulk buyers of five million litres or more are to pay N950 per litre, according to the notice.
This price adjustment indicates a 6.17% increase, or N55.5 per litre, compared to the discounted rate of N899.50 per litre offered during December 2024’s holiday period.
The refinery added that the new rates took effect from 5:30pm Friday impacting all unsold stock balances and pending orders.
Dangote refinery informed its customers of the price revision, attributing the change to rising global oil prices.
“Kindly be advised that effective from 5:30 PM today, an upward adjustment has been implemented on the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit.
“Please note that all stock balances yet to be lifted as at the above-stated time are to be repriced at the new reviewed prices.
“We shall communicate with customers on their revised volumes based on the reviewed prices, in due course,” it read in part.
The increase is due to the rise in the price of Brent, the global benchmark for crude.
Brent crude rose to $81.84 per barrel—the highest level in 2025.
Business
Petrol price hike imminent over biting exchange rate – PENGASSAN
Petrol price hike imminent over biting exchange rate – PENGASSAN
The President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, has warned that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, could increase if the upward trend in global crude oil prices persists.
Speaking during PENGASSAN’s National Executive Council Meeting in Lagos on Thursday, Osifo highlighted the correlation between rising crude oil costs and Nigeria’s foreign exchange challenges, cautioning that the situation may lead to higher fuel prices.
“The crude price rose to $80 per barrel today. Without exchange rate improvements, PMS prices will increase in the coming weeks,” Osifo stated.
He attributed the nationwide high fuel prices to the volatile exchange rate, even with the gradual resumption of operations at domestic refineries. However, he noted that these facilities were not yet operating at full capacity.
Addressing misconceptions about refining, Osifo explained that producing high-quality PMS involves extensive blending and processing. “The old Port Harcourt refinery is functional, and there is significant progress at the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries. Refineries globally engage in blending operations; it is a normal part of the process,” he said.
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Osifo linked the rising cost of petrol to the weakened naira, explaining that a stronger exchange rate could stabilize PMS prices.
“The price of PMS is directly linked to our weak naira. If the exchange rate improves to below N1,000 to a dollar, PMS could sell for N500–N600 per litre,” he added.
Drawing comparisons with countries like Venezuela and Zimbabwe, Osifo stressed the importance of currency management in the oil and gas sector, which relies heavily on U.S. dollars for equipment, operations, and expatriate salaries.
On local refining, he refuted claims that it would automatically lead to significantly lower prices, emphasizing the importance of maintaining cost margins. “Producing locally does not mean selling below cost. Even farmers calculate their production costs before adding margins,” he explained.
In a separate discussion, Osifo criticized Nigeria’s proposed 2025 budget of ₦49 trillion (approximately $30 billion), describing it as inadequate for a country with a population exceeding 230 million.
“The budget of $30 billion is abysmally low for a country like Nigeria, especially when you compare it with nations like South Africa, which has a population of about 60 million but operates on a budget of over $120 billion,” he stated.
He urged the Nigerian government to explore its vast natural and mineral resources to increase revenue and reduce reliance on borrowing.
Petrol price hike imminent over biting exchange rate – PENGASSAN
Business
Nigeria’s CNG conversion capacity increases by 2,500% – NMDPRA
Nigeria’s CNG conversion capacity increases by 2,500% – NMDPRA
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said that the country’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion capacity increased by over 2,500 per cent in 2024.
Mr Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive, NMDPRA, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the inaugural Petroleum Industry Stakeholders’ Forum, organised by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Ahmed said that NMDPRA supported the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) by stimulating 186 new conversion centers which triggered the county’s conversion capacity.
“The NMDPRA will continue to collaborate with the PCNGI to ensure deployment of CNG infrastructure in major cities of Lagos and Abuja, up to 100,000 conversions, while collaborating with states to develop Nigeria Gas Vehicles (NGVs) in other areas.
“The development of CNG as a viable alternative to Petrol has been incentivised.
“These conversions alongside new buys have raised the Nigerian Gas Vehicles population to an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 vehicles and trucks, and it continues to grow daily.
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“With over 400 million dollars attracted for investment in 86 and 65 new daughters and mother stations under construction respectively, Nigeria refueling capacity has therefore risen from 20 to 56,” he said.
Ahmed said that the collaboration between PCNGI, NMDPRA and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) led to the development of standards and the NGV Monitoring System expected to be inaugurated this year.
“The NMDPRA also collaborates with the SON, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and the National Institute of Transportation Technology (NITT) in ensuring that our mobility CNG growth is achieved in a safe and sustainable manner,” he said.
The NMDPRA boss, however, listed some challenges facing the initiative to include establishment and operation of petroleum handling facilities without proper licensing, permits and authorisations.
He listed other challenges to include poor collaborations for Open/ third party access to facilities and lack of cooperation of some operators for an effective regulatory oversight, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provisions.
“We implore the industry to adhere to all regulatory requirements, especially as they relate to safety, efficiency, best practices, sustainability, consumer protection and community participation.
“As we progress into 2025, the NMDPRA will continue to consolidate on its successes for enhanced regulatory oversight.
“This will include the upgrade of our laboratories for enhanced product quality analysis and referencing, inter-agency collaborations, automation and sustainability in the industry,” Ahmed said.
Nigeria’s CNG conversion capacity increases by 2,500% – NMDPRA
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