The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have expressed dissatisfaction with the recent reduction in the pump price of petrol to N935 per litre, arguing that it remains unaffordable for most Nigerians.

The announcement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and MRS reduced petrol prices from over N1,030 per litre in Lagos and over N1,060 per litre in Abuja to a uniform price of N935 per litre nationwide. Despite this, labour unions and CSOs insist the price should drop further to reflect local realities.

Chris Onyeka, a senior official of the NLC, criticized the pricing mechanism, stating it does not represent the true cost of domestic refining. “Products are refined in Nigeria, yet the price Nigerians pay is based on imported products. This is unacceptable,” Onyeka said. He urged the government to base petrol prices on actual refining costs in local refineries such as the Port Harcourt refinery.

Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, also expressed dissatisfaction, noting that the price could drop as low as N650 per litre, as suggested by Dangote. He added that the government and private sector could afford to provide free fuel to citizens, as other petroleum derivatives remain profitable.

Ibrahim Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, welcomed the price reduction but called for more significant cuts. “If private companies can lower prices while maintaining profitability, government-owned enterprises should prioritize citizens’ welfare and reduce prices further,” he argued.

The NLC and CSOs emphasized that rising fuel costs are driving inflation and worsening economic hardship, urging the government to adopt pricing policies that alleviate the burden on Nigerians.