The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says the indicative gantry price for aviation fuel released by Dangote Refinery will ensure market stability and compliance by marketers.
Mr George Ene-Ita, Director of Public Affairs at NMDPRA, made this known in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Saturday.
Ene-Ita was reacting to the pricing and high cost of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), also known as aviation fuel or Jet A1.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has fixed its gantry price of ATK at ₦1,820 per litre, a move aimed at enhancing transparency in the sector.
This development comes amid concerns raised by Nigerians and airline operators over the high cost of aviation fuel and its heavy impact on the industry.
To ensure market stability, fair pricing, and ease pressure on airline operators and passengers, NMDPRA had earlier set a Jet fuel price cap for marketers and ordered direct sales to airlines.
The authority directed that the cost of Jet A1 fuel for end-users should range between ₦1,760 and ₦1,988 per litre in Lagos, and ₦1,809 to ₦2,037 per litre in Abuja.
However, despite this advisory, oil marketers have continued to sell aviation fuel to airlines at ₦2,230 per litre and above, deepening concerns across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Ene-Ita said although petroleum product prices have been deregulated, the latest indicative gantry price for ATK released by the refinery will further support the authority’s monitoring efforts.
“All petroleum product prices have been deregulated. However, with particular emphasis on ATK, the Dangote Refinery’s latest indicative gantry prices, which they promised to publish daily, will enable us to ensure compliance by marketers and operators during our routine surveillance operations nationwide.
“We are not unmindful of the fact that what the Dangote Refinery is doing is a concession to help ease overhead cost pressures in the aviation sector in order not to truncate its operations. So, we will play our part to see that Nigerians benefit from this gesture,” he said.
The NMDPRA pricing framework was derived from Platts average figures recorded between April 17 and 23, reflecting prevailing global oil market conditions.
According to the regulator, while the benchmarks provide guidance for fair pricing, actual market prices may fluctuate outside the stated range depending on purchase timing and external factors.
It specifically cited heightened global volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing U.S.–Iran crisis, as a key contributor to the recent hike in aviation fuel prices.
