Dangote Refinery’s price slash have exposed the alleged profiteering by gas marketers, as Nigerians demand government action to curb price manipulation.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced another major cut in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, slashing its ex-depot rate from ₦810 to ₦760 per kilogram.
The move positions Dangote as the lowest supplier in Nigeria’s domestic gas market and comes amid widespread public outrage over marketers selling above ₦1,000/kg, despite the price reduction.
Analysts say the development could reshape the country’s energy market dynamics, exposing alleged price manipulation and profiteering by gas distributors. “The middlemen are making more profit than the refiner, who buys Nigerian crude at a premium,” one energy analyst said. “Dangote’s post-maintenance price cut signals an effort to stabilize supply and discipline market pricing.”
A market survey shows that competing depots are maintaining far higher rates — Matrix and Ardova at ₦920/kg, A.Y.M Shafa and NIPCO at ₦910/kg, and Stockgap Depot at around ₦950/kg. The roughly ₦150–₦190 difference per kilogram, experts argue, is a clear sign of possible price collusion.
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Public reaction has been swift and intense. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to accuse gas marketers of exploiting consumers, while urging the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate suspected price-fixing cartels in the distribution chain.
“The refinery has done its part; the marketers are sabotaging the benefit to ordinary citizens,” wrote one user on X, reflecting a broader frustration among households struggling with rising living costs.
Some industry watchers, however, caution that the situation underscores a deeper structural issue in the domestic energy market. They note that while bypassing middlemen might lower prices, direct consumer distribution by the refinery could raise monopoly concerns, potentially attracting new criticism toward Dangote’s growing dominance in the downstream sector.
Still, Dangote’s price cut marks the cheapest ex-depot LPG rate in Nigeria, creating pressure on competitors to follow suit or risk losing market share.
As the price war intensifies, Nigerians are watching closely to see whether the new ₦760/kg benchmark will translate to meaningful relief at the cylinder level — or if retail prices will remain inflated despite local production and government calls for transparency.
