IN what is being hailed as a major relief for millions of Nigerians grappling with high fuel prices, the Dangote Refinery has announced that its much-anticipated free fuel distribution programme will officially begin on Monday, with simultaneous rollouts in key states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement was made late on Thursday by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief, Branding and Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, in a statement confirming the programme’s commencement date and the accompanying slash in petrol prices.
Chiejina disclosed that the refinery will retail petrol at ₦841 per litre in Lagos and the entire South-West region, while residents of Abuja, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, and Delta States will buy at ₦851 per litre starting Monday.
“We are starting the free fuel distribution scheme on Monday. We will begin with Lagos and the South-West, Abuja, Kwara, Delta, Rivers, and Edo States. There will be a drop in price effective on Monday when the free distribution starts,” the statement read.
The free distribution is expected to significantly ease transportation costs, bring down commodity prices, and reduce the inflationary pressure that has plagued households since fuel subsidies were removed.
The initiative was initially scheduled to kick off in August but faced delays due to logistics challenges, including shipment bottlenecks in China.
According to Chiejina, the refinery has now received over 1,000 trucks to power the rollout phase, ensuring nationwide reach as the programme expands in the coming weeks.
“More states will benefit as more trucks arrive. This is just the first phase,” he assured.
In a bid to strengthen its distribution capacity, the Dangote Group has also embarked on a large-scale roll-out of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks across its fleet, which is expected to lower distribution costs and reduce dependence on diesel-powered logistics.
“Even though we recently noticed how the CNG prices doubled a week ago, that will not deter our 10,000 CNG truck roll-out this year,” the company said.
Analysts say the move will not only stabilise petrol supply across the country but also accelerate Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and cheaper energy solutions for transportation.
The announcement has been met with widespread anticipation as Nigerians hope the combination of free fuel and price cuts will help cushion the economic burden caused by rising living costs and high transportation fares.
