Dangote Petroleum Refinery has introduced a weekly volume-based incentive for petrol marketers following a recent slowdown in truck loading after its PMS price adjustment from ₦699 to ₦799 per litre.
Findings by Petroleumprice.ng indicate that gantry activity declined after the ₦100 price increase, as several private depots began offering slightly lower ex-depot prices across major distribution hubs. As a result, marketers increasingly sourced products closer to their operating zones, citing both pricing advantages and reduced logistics costs.
Market analysts describe the refinery’s latest move as a calculated commercial response aimed at sustaining throughput and retaining high-volume buyers amid intensifying competition.
Weekly Volume-Based Rebate Structure
In a notice issued by its Group Commercial Operations unit, Dangote Refinery announced the introduction of a Weekly PMS Lifting Bonus, effective February 2, 2026.
Under the structure:
- Marketers lifting between 2,000,000 and 4,999,999 litres per week will receive a ₦20 per litre bonus.
- Those lifting 5,000,000 litres and above per week will qualify for a ₦25 per litre bonus.
The refinery encouraged customers to leverage the incentive to optimise their margins and volumes.
Industry participants note that the rebate effectively reduces the net landing cost for high-volume marketers, narrowing the price gap between Dangote’s official ex-depot rate and competing private depot offers.
Strategy to Defend Market Share
Sources within the downstream sector say the refinery previously recorded strong gantry activity when it reduced PMS to ₦699 per litre in December, a move that reportedly pushed daily truck loading close to 1,000 trucks at its peak.
However, after the subsequent upward review to ₦799, loading volumes reportedly dropped by about 50 percent, falling below 500 trucks per day as independent marketers diversified supply sources.
Private depots across Lagos, Warri, and Port Harcourt have since attracted increased patronage, reinforcing what analysts describe as a decentralisation of PMS supply away from a single dominant source.
Rather than cutting its headline price again, Dangote appears to have opted for a targeted rebate system. This approach allows the refinery to maintain its official pricing benchmark while rewarding bulk buyers and preserving customer loyalty.
Market observers view the initiative as a tactical adjustment within a broader price competition cycle in Nigeria’s deregulated downstream market, where refiners and depot owners continue to recalibrate strategies in response to shifting demand patterns and margin pressures.
