The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a crackdown on filling stations that are overcharging Nigerians by selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at up to ₦1,000 per litre.
This move comes in response to growing public outrage over the stark price differences between petrol sold at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) stations and those run by independent marketers. While NNPC stations offer petrol at prices ranging from ₦568 to ₦617 per litre, some independent marketers are charging as high as ₦1,000 per litre.
Independent marketers have defended their high prices by claiming that they buy petrol from private depots at up to ₦850 per litre. However, NMDPRA spokesperson George Ene-Ita has disputed these claims, stating that the figures reported by depot personnel are significantly lower, as daily price publications show.
Ene-Ita assured that any filling station found charging exorbitant prices would face immediate closure. He emphasized that the NNPC sets the ex-depot prices and that any deviations from these prices are unjustifiable.
The NMDPRA has also issued a warning against profiteering, asserting its commitment to protecting Nigerians from unfair fuel prices and ensuring compliance with regulated rates in the petroleum industry.