Filling stations to sell petrol at N170/ltr as NNPC increases ex-depot price

Fuel marketers across Nigeria may increase the pump price of petrol to N170 per litre from today following an increase in the ex-depot price of the product to N155.17 per litre from N147.67 per litre.

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, gave the indication in its latest memo dated November 11, 2020, confirming that it had jacked up the ex-depot price of petrol with effect from Friday.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the PPMC to marketers at the depots.

In its PMS price proposal for November, the PPMC put the landing cost of petrol at N128.89 per litre, up from N119.77 per litre in September/October.

It said the estimated minimum pump price of the product would increase to N161.36 per litre from N153.86 per litre.

The National Operation Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr Mike Osatuyi, in a telephone interview with a Punch correspondent, said the over N7 increase in ex-depot price would translate into an increase in pump prices.

He said, “The implication of the increase in the ex-depot price is that there is going to be an increase in the pump price. We are expecting the pump price to range from N168 to N170 per litre.

“Crude oil price is going up,” he said, noting that the Federal Government has fully deregulated petrol prices.

Following the deregulation of petrol prices in September, marketers across the country adjusted their pump prices to between N158 and N162 per litre to reflect the increase in global oil prices.

Petrol price band had also risen from N121.50–N123.50 per litre in June to N140.80-N143.80 in July and N148-N150 in August.

The new pump price is coming against a threat of fuel scarcity in the country precipitated by the industrial action declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Monday over the inability of the union and the Federal Government to reach an agreement on the government’s Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.

Although the NNPC had assured the people that it had enough fuel to dispense and that the strike might not affect fuel distribution per se, PENGASSAN threatened to shut down oil and gas facilities nationwide.

The union also accused the FG of failure to pay arrears owed its members in the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority.