Nigerians to start buying cheaper petrol at NNPC stations for 30 days as FG announces relief

• NNPC Retail will forgo its retail profit margin for a 30-day period to sell petrol at cost.

• Public transport operators will receive priority under the arrangement.

• The Federal Government says the discount is not a return to the petrol subsidy regime.

• Other measures include a proposed ₦1,350-per-litre landing-cost ceiling and expanded CNG use.

The Federal Government has announced a 30-day petrol discount at filling stations operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), as part of measures to ease the burden of rising fuel prices on Nigerians.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced the arrangement on Thursday, October 8, 2026, during a briefing on petrol prices and the government’s response to rising energy costs.

According to the government, NNPC Retail will temporarily forgo its retail profit margin and sell petrol at cost during the 30-day period, with public transport operators given priority under the arrangement.

In a statement published by the Presidency, the government said the initiative was intended to cushion the impact of global crude oil price increases and market volatility on households and businesses.

The Presidency explained that if NNPC’s landing cost for petrol was ₦1,300 per litre, for example, the company would sell it at that price without adding its usual retail margin.

However, the government has not announced a single fixed pump price for all NNPC filling stations, meaning the actual price may vary depending on the cost of supplying petrol.

Oyedele stressed that the initiative should not be interpreted as a return to the petrol subsidy regime, which the Federal Government removed in May 2023.

In a subsequent clarification on Friday, October 9, the minister explained that NNPC Retail would bear the cost of the discount through a reduction in its profit margin rather than receiving money from the Federal Government to subsidise petrol.

He said the company buys petrol from the Dangote Refinery and other suppliers at prevailing market prices before adding its retail margin to determine the pump price.

Under the new arrangement, NNPC Retail will reduce or temporarily forgo that margin to offer consumers some relief.

The minister maintained that the initiative was a commercial decision by the retailer and was not funded by the Federal Government’s budget or the Federation Account.

The 30-day petrol discount is part of a broader package of measures announced by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of rising fuel prices.

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Oyedele said the government was negotiating a ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on the ex-gantry or landing cost of petrol to help limit sharp price fluctuations.

Under the proposed arrangement, refiners and importers would absorb costs above the ceiling and recover the shortfall when market conditions become more favourable. The ceiling would be reviewed monthly.

The government also announced plans to increase the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) for transportation, provide additional support to vulnerable households and small businesses, and address illegal levies that contribute to higher transport and logistics costs.

It said savings from cheaper energy sources should be passed on to passengers through lower transport fares.

The Presidency maintained that the measures were designed to provide temporary relief while preserving the market-based pricing system introduced after the removal of petrol subsidy.

The 30-day discount is intended to offer immediate support to motorists and transport operators as Nigerians continue to contend with high fuel prices and their effects on transportation, food and other household expenses.