The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced the suspension of petrol sales in naira, a development that has unsettled fuel marketers and sparked fresh concerns over pump prices and pressure on foreign exchange.

In a notice sent to customers at 6:42 p.m. on Friday, the refinery stated that the suspension would take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation as the reason.

The letter, issued by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals and titled “Suspension of DPRP PMS Naira Sales – Effective 28th September 2025”, also directed customers with ongoing naira-based transactions to request refunds.

Part of the notice read:

“Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been selling petroleum products beyond our Naira-Crude allocations, and as such, we are unable to continue PMS sales in naira going forward.

This suspension of naira sales for PMS will take effect from Sunday, 28th September, 2025. Updates will be provided on the resumption of supply once the situation is resolved.

All customers with PMS transactions in naira who would like a refund of their current payments should formally request processing.”

The decision comes amid a dispute between the refinery and labour unions over the alleged dismissal of more than 800 Nigerian workers, a move that has drawn widespread criticism and calls for government intervention.

This is not the first time the refinery has suspended sales in local currency. Earlier in March 2025, Dangote briefly halted naira-based transactions, citing limited allocations under the crude-for-naira programme. That action triggered fears of fuel dollarisation and pushed pump prices close to ₦1,000 per litre.

Industry analysts warn that the latest suspension could again destabilise the downstream sector, with petrol prices potentially rising above ₦900 per litre if dollar-denominated transactions dominate. According to Petroleumprice.ng CEO, Jeremiah Olatide, the refinery has played a major role in keeping fuel prices relatively lower in recent months.

Meanwhile, labour tensions have intensified. On Friday, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria accused the company of unfair labour practices, condemning the mass layoffs as “unjust and insensitive.” Union leaders have threatened nationwide solidarity actions if the situation is not addressed.

With the refinery considered critical to Nigeria’s energy security, experts warn that the twin challenges of naira sales suspension and industrial unrest could undermine government reforms aimed at stabilising the domestic fuel market.