The readiness of Dangote Refinery to release its Premium Motor Spirit into the market is sparking fresh hope for an uninterrupted fuel supply in Nigeria as the nation looks to reduce its dependency on imported fuel and the attendant strains on the economy, reports Festus Akanbi

In a week marked by frustration, uncertainty, and confusion over the prolonged fuel scarcity when business and commercial activities almost came to a halt, what made the difference was the readiness of the Dangote Refinery to push out its Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol to the Nigerian market.

It was a paradox that the news of the arrival of Dangote fuel in the market came almost simultaneously with the news of a sudden increase in the price of petrol by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)  from N617/litre to N897/litre from Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Unfortunately, there seems to be serious confusion as Nigerians are torn between the shock associated with the latest price increase and the government’s inability to pump enough quantity of the product to filling stations despite the unveiling of a new pricing template which the NNPCL’s Vice President, Downstream, Adedapo Segun said is not market reflective and could be higher.