-Prof. Iledare
Following my appearance on Africa Independent Television (AIT) Kakaki, it is important to clarify the ongoing developments in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, particularly in light of the recent price adjustments associated with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
What Nigeria is witnessing is not a crisis, but a structural reset of a downstream market that for decades was heavily dependent on imported petroleum products. The entry of the Dangote Refinery has fundamentally altered the market structure by introducing large-scale domestic refining capacity into an import-dominated system. The resulting price movements should therefore be understood as market adjustment dynamics, not instability.
The current price competition—often described as a “price war”—is best characterised as oligopolistic behaviour. Major players, including the Dangote Refinery, NNPCL, and independent marketers, are adjusting prices in response to a new cost and supply reality. This reflects competitive positioning and market share protection rather than market chaos.
Prices have declined largely because local refining eliminates exposure to foreign exchange volatility, shipping costs, and port inefficiencies. In addition, economies of scale and integrated logistics give the Dangote Refinery a structural cost advantage over imported products. As a result, import-dependent supply has become less competitive, accelerating the long-anticipated transition toward import substitution.
The implications for the downstream sector in 2025 are significant. Import substitution is no longer theoretical; it is occurring in real time. Marketing margins are compressing, inventory valuation risks have increased, and operational efficiency has become a survival requirement rather than a strategic choice. Inefficient operators will struggle, while those with strong logistics, storage, and financial discipline will endure.
Within this evolving landscape, NNPCL’s role is also changing. The company is gradually transitioning from a dominant importer to a price stabiliser and portfolio manager. However, the boundaries between competition and market-making remain blurred, underscoring the need for clearer policy signalling and institutional discipline.
In the short term, consumers are benefitting from lower pump prices, improved supply reliability, and reduced scarcity. At the macroeconomic level, reduced import dependence is easing pressure on foreign exchange demand. These gains, however, are not guaranteed to persist without deliberate regulatory oversight.
The emerging risks must not be ignored. There is a real possibility that excessive market concentration could crowd out smaller marketers. Weak regulation could allow private dominance to replace the inefficiencies of the past, undermining competition and long-term resilience.
Nigeria’s downstream sector is therefore best described as a liberalising oligopoly, not a fully deregulated market. This places a premium on the role of regulators as active referees, not passive observers. Transparency, fair access to infrastructure, and competition safeguards are essential.
Ultimately, policy decisions must be guided by the Quad-E framework: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Equity, and Ethics.
The Dangote Refinery has changed Nigeria’s downstream market. Whether Nigerians fully benefit from this transformation will depend on the quality of regulation, governance discipline, and commitment to fair competition.
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