Dangote Refinery has resumed the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to major marketers and depot owners under a revised distribution framework endorsed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The move represents a significant shift from the previous arrangement in which products were sold to all classes of buyers, including independent petroleum marketers.

Major marketers and depot owners cleared under the new model include Mobil/11 Plc, Total, Matrix, Rainoil, Nipco, Northwest, Ardova, Bovas, Pivot, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, NNPC ,SALBAS Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited ,Nipco plc and MRS.

Industry sources told Vanguard that the refinery has reverted to a controlled distribution structure similar to the framework introduced in October 2025, when only a limited number of major marketers were granted direct access to products.

An authoritative operator, who confirmed the development at the weekend, explained that the strategy is designed to allow depot owners and large marketers to moderate supply flows and influence market pricing more effectively, while independent oil marketers, including members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), will source products from depots

The Chief Executive Officer of Petroleumprice.ng, Olajide Jeremiah, who tracks downstream pricing trends, said the refinery’s gantry price remains unchanged at N 774 per litre.

“While the gantry price remains at ¦ 774 per litre, Dangote Refinery will no longer sell directly to independent petroleum marketers who typically purchase in smaller volumes,” he said.

Instead, only depot owners with established storage facilities and approved major marketers will be eligible to lift products. Approval now follows defined procedures. Buyers must operate functional depot infrastructure or qualify as recognised major marketers before receiving clearance.

The refinery will supply products through coastal vessel shipments, ship-based transactions and gantry loading for authorised buyers. Depot owners will then distribute products from their facilities and determine ex-depot prices.”

He added that early pricing signals suggest that ¦ 800 per litre could emerge as a new benchmark in Lagos, with Warri, Port Harcourt and Abuja trending around ¦ 820 per litre following recent adjustments at the depot level.

The National President of the Oil and Gas Services Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), Mazi Colman Obasi, described the development as positive.

This is a good arrangement and we hope that while deregulation remains in place, the government and operators will work toward sourcing more petroleum products locally from the refinery,” he said.

Another industry source noted that the move aims to reduce volatility and restore confidence across the downstream value chain, adding that the refinery had also reportedly absorbed losses during previous price fluctuations.

The idea is to create balance within the ecosystem. Dangote does not want depot businesses to collapse, and it also wants Nigerians to benefit from a more predictable pricing structure. It is about creating a win-win situation,” the source said.

Under the new arrangement, retail marketers will access products indirectly through depot channels rather than purchasing directly from the refinery.

Meanwhile, the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, on Thursday hosted a high-level meeting with wholesale suppliers of petroleum products at the Authority’s headquarters in Abuja.

The engagement brought together key downstream operators to deliberate on supply sufficiency, market stability, pricing transparency and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s evolving petroleum market.

Wholesale suppliers commended the Authority for sustaining proactive dialogue with stakeholders and reaffirmed their commitment to compliance and industry best practices.

The meeting underscores NMDPRA’s continued efforts to strengthen transparency, efficiency and long-term sustainability in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.

Dangote Refinery’s sales model and the regulator’s intensified stakeholder consultations signal a coordinated push toward stabilising Nigeria’s downstream market amid full deregulation.

For independent marketers and retail outlets, the market has entered a new phase one in which depot owners and major marketers are expected to play a more central role in price formation and supply distribution nationwide.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested Senate approval for a loan facility totaling $516,333,007 from Deutsche Bank AG to finance the construction of Sections 1, Phase 1a, and 1b of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.

In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read during Thursday’s plenary session, the President described the 1,000-kilometer flagship project as a strategic corridor designed to link Nigeria’s Northwest to the Southwest. The highway will run from Illela in Sokoto State, passing through Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, and Ogun, and terminate in Badagry, Lagos State.

According to the letter, the loan will specifically cover 120 kilometers of the total route. The financing arrangement is structured as a syndicated loan secured through Deutsche Bank, backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), the insurance arm of the Islamic Development Bank.

President Tinubu noted that the Federal Government will provide counterpart funding of ₦265,542,689,569 to cover land acquisition, compensation, and ancillary infrastructure. The loan carries a nine-year tenor, including a three-year grace period, with an interest rate not exceeding the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) SOFR plus 5.3 percent per annum.

The President confirmed that the Federal Executive Council has already approved the financing arrangement and urged the Senate to incorporate the loan into the national borrowing plan. The letter emphasized that the superhighway will improve north-south connectivity, enhance road safety, reduce logistics costs, strengthen trade and food security, and support national cohesion by linking production zones to markets and ports. The central median is also being reserved for future rail integration and utility corridors.

Senate President Akpabio referred the request to the Committee on Foreign and Local Debts, which is expected to report back within one week.

Speaking in support of the project, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) described it as a long-overdue initiative, noting that it has been in development for 55 years. “I have inspected the project and I have seen the progress made. I am highly impressed,” Aliero said.

He confirmed that ongoing work includes both concrete and asphalt roads fitted with solar streetlights, and estimated that travel time from Sokoto to Lagos would drop by more than 70 percent — from 13 hours to approximately six hours — upon completion. He urged the Senate to grant expeditious approval once the committee submits its report.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Thursday said he is now a “freelance politician” with no direct ties to any political party.

Mohammed made the remark while hosting a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and stakeholders from the South-East in Bauchi.

The governor said the meeting centred on national unity and collaboration, noting that the discussions were not driven by partisan interests.

“Neither PDP nor ADC is standing alone. I am a freelance politician now, and his party is also in limbo. We are looking up to the judiciary.

“Certainly, we are all in the opposition, and that is why I say this is a political discussion. We will not disclose everything we have discussed in terms of the ‘I’s and ‘t’s we have crossed,” he said.

He added that ongoing engagements among political actors were focused on possible realignment and cooperation ahead of future elections.

“We cannot operate without a platform. At the end of the day, the current political situation may even help unify us and strengthen our chances of winning elections,” he added.

Mohammed described Obi’s visit as symbolic, saying it reflected efforts to build bridges across regions.

“He is talking about unifying the country, building bridges, and creating a new tomorrow for Nigeria. This is what we stand for as a state and as a people. We feel highly honoured by this visit,” Mohammed said.

Speaking earlier, Obi said the visit was aimed at fostering unity and strengthening collaboration across the country.

“My purpose is to solicit support and cooperation among stakeholders, particularly from the Bauchi state, in our quest to unite this country,” Obi said.