Minister Denies Instructing NNPC to Hike Petrol Prices to N1,000
By Matthew Eloyi
Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), has refuted claims that he directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to raise petrol prices to N1,000 per litre.
In a statement released on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nnemaka Okafor, the minister categorically denied issuing any directive to NNPC Ltd. or any other entity within the petroleum sector to manipulate fuel prices.
“The Federal Government has been compelled to address the outright falsehood and malicious claims currently circulating on social media.”
“We categorically condemn these claims as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to incite public discontent. We challenge anyone in possession of any evidence—be it written documents, audio, or video recordings—that supports these fabrications to make it public. Such a claim is entirely devoid of truth and should be recognized as an intentional effort to mislead the public,” Lokpobiri said.
Lokpobiri further clarified that NNPC Ltd. operates as an independent entity under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), with a fully empowered Board of Directors. He emphasized that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not interfere in NNPC Ltd.’s internal decisions, including those related to pricing.
“Any suggestion otherwise is not only incorrect but also reveals a profound misunderstanding of the deregulated nature of Nigeria’s petroleum sector,” the minister added. He urged the public to dismiss these “malicious rumors” and to rely solely on information from verified and official channels.
As of Tuesday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that NNPC Ltd. Retail Stations had adjusted their pump prices to N897 per litre, up from N617. Independent marketers are selling petrol between N930 and N1,000 per litre.
