Hopes for an immediate drop in petrol prices were dashed yesterday as key retail partners of Dangote Petroleum Refinery—MRS, AP (Ardova), Heyden, Optima Energy, Hyde, and Techno Oil—failed to implement the newly announced price of N890 per litre.

Dangote Refinery had revealed on Wednesday that, in partnership with these companies, petrol would be sold at N890 per litre, down from the previous price of N920 in Lagos. However, a market survey found that many stations were still charging the old price of N920 and even higher.

At MRS stations in Agege and Ikeja, for instance, petrol was still priced at N920 per litre, contrary to the agreed N890 rate. Similarly, AP (Ardova) stations in Oba Akran and New Oko-Oba were still selling at N920 per litre, N30 above the new price.

The failure to adjust prices left motorists, especially commercial operators, frustrated. John Akabogu, a keke operator, pointed out that it’s common for filling stations to delay price cuts, whereas price hikes are always implemented immediately. He urged regulatory authorities to step in and protect consumers from this ongoing exploitation.

Another motorist, Akanni Adebisi, shared his disappointment after visiting a filling station only to find that the new pricing had not been applied. Despite his attempts to get an explanation from attendants, he was provided with no reason for the delay in implementing the new price.

Dangote Refinery had set a new price structure, with petrol selling at N890 per litre in Lagos, N900 in the South-West (down from N930), and N910 in the North-West and North-Central regions (down from N940).