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“PRICE WAR”: Marketers Protest As Dangote Moves To Crash Cooking Gas Price

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Dangote To Retire As Dangote Sugar Chair

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has announced plans to reduce the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas. He also promised to start direct sales of the product to consumers should the existing distributors fail to allow the price crash in cooking gas.

However, operators in the sector have disagreed with the plan, saying the businessman was planning to monopolise the LPG sector. They kicked against the move on Monday, as the dealers expressed fear of a possible monopoly.

Speaking during a recent tour of his refinery by some local and foreign guests, Dangote stressed that the current price of cooking gas is expensive and not affordable for the common people who depend on firewood for cooking.

He disclosed that the refinery now produces 22,000 tonnes of LPG daily and it is ramping up production for distribution into the Nigerian market, especially as Nigerians move towards the use of gas for cooking.

Speaking to members of the Lagos Business School CGEO Africa, at the refinery in Lekki, Dangote said, “The one that we didn’t write, which you must have seen, is LPG. Currently, we do LPG of about 2,000 tonnes per day. You know Nigeria is gradually moving to the usage of LPG. But I believe it is expensive, but right now we’re trying to bring down the price and make it cheaper.”

Dangote warned that “if the distributors are not trying to bring it down, we’ll go directly and sell to the consumers, so that people will now transit from firewood or kerosene to LPG for cooking.”

The PUNCH recalls that Dangote plans to start the direct distribution of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel to marketers nationwide in August, with 4,000 CNG-powered buses procured for the exercise.

Currently, the price of cooking hovers around N1,000 and N1,300 per kilogramme. Dangote said this would be brought down to ensure affordability.

Operators kick
It appears operators in the LPG market are not pleased with Dangote’s plan to disrupt the sector.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the former Chairman of the LPG and Natural Gas Downstream Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Godwin Okoduwa, described the plan as monopolistic.

Okoduwa expressed concern that the billionaire businessman should recognise the fact that some investors grew the market from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1 million metric tonnes in 2022, saying collaboration is the way to go.

“I think it’s monopolistic. I think a market should be protected to encourage growth. The LPG industry in Nigeria grew from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1.3 million tonnes in 2022. That was done by collaboration — collaboration with the Federal Government, the NLNG, and offtakers. Everything was done in collaboration. It grew from 70,000 to 250 to 800, and now over a million,” Okoduwa said.

He stressed that growth cannot be achieved through a monopoly but through collaboration.  “Today, we are just under 5kg or 6kg per capita consumption in terms of LPG. Other countries are doing much more. South Africa is doing double digits, Morocco and Tunisia are doing double digits. We can do much more.

“So, we should, as an industry and as a country, focus on how to grow the LPG industry and not allow someone (to frustrate the players). Yes, he has invested; yes, it’s a capital economy, but he should not be allowed to frustrate the players.

“There are people who have spent money, spent resources, even business and development, and someone just comes in to reap from the work that has been done. I’m sure he wouldn’t have built if there had not been an existing market. The work has been done, he should respect the market and let us grow. It shouldn’t be a zero-sum strategy. It should be collaborative,” he said.

In his recommendation, the gas expert said that though Dangote has the upper hand, he should embrace collaboration.

“My advice to him is that the pie can be bigger. The Nigerian market is about 1.3 million tonnes. The Nigerian LPG market can be 5 million tonnes. He should work towards collaboration rather than competition, because at the end of the day, everybody benefits,” he added.

Told that Dangote’s major concern is to bring the price of cooking gas to a rate where everybody can afford it and stop cooking with firewood, Okoduwa retorted, “I have news for him. He should go to the Northeast, where you have the least consumption of LPG. He should go to the Northeast and start developing the LPG infrastructure there. I think we will tell him thank you for that.”

Similarly, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Bassey Essien, doubted the possibility of Dangote selling gas directly to consumers or to crash the price.

“I am saying that it’s unrealistic. What is the position with PMS? Has the refinery been able to sell petrol directly to you and me into our cars at a very cheap rate?” Essien asked.

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Dangote Refinery Fixes Petrol Price in New Pricing Template 

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Dangote Refinery Slashes Ex-Depot Price By N40

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has fixed the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, at $0.779 per litre as it officially transitioned to a dollar-denominated pricing system for refined petroleum products.

The new pricing template, which took effect on Monday, July 13, 2026, also pegs Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) at $1.087 per litre and aviation fuel at $0.942 per litre, while coastal deliveries of petrol have been priced at $1,044.62 per metric tonne.

The move effectively ends naira payments for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel purchased from the refinery, marking a significant shift from the naira-based transactions introduced under the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude policy, which commenced on October 1, 2024.

In a notice to petroleum marketers and customers, the refinery said all previously issued naira-denominated Proforma Invoices (PFIs) and Deal Recaps for both gantry and coastal transactions had become invalid.

The notice, signed by the refinery’s Group Commercial Operations, stated: “Following our email of July 9, 2026, regarding the transition from naira to United States dollars (USD), please note that all issued naira coastal and gantry PFIs/Deal Recaps are now invalid, and no payments should be made against them.

“The applicable USD prices for each product, effective today, July 13, 2026, are provided below.”

Under the revised pricing template, petrol sold through the gantry will cost $0.779 per litre, diesel $1.087 per litre, aviation fuel $0.942 per litre, while coastal PMS supplies will sell for $1,044.62 per metric tonne.

The refinery, however, clarified that the transition does not affect Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) transactions.

“Also note that this transition to USD does not apply to LPG transactions,” the notice added.

Industry sources said the change was necessitated by an increasing mismatch between the currency used to purchase crude oil and the currency in which refined products were being sold.

According to one source familiar with the development, Dangote Refinery now receives a significant portion of its crude oil from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under dollar-denominated supply arrangements, while a large volume of refined products has continued to be sold domestically in naira.

The source said the imbalance had heightened the refinery’s exposure to foreign exchange risks.

Another industry official explained that the refinery had received fewer crude cargoes under the naira-for-crude arrangement in recent months, making it commercially necessary to align product sales with the currency used for crude procurement.

“Dangote Refinery is receiving fewer naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPCL than dollar-denominated cargoes, while a larger volume of its petroleum products has been sold in naira.

“The resulting currency mismatch, combined with volatility in international crude oil prices and continued exchange-rate uncertainty, made it necessary to migrate product sales to dollars,” the source said.

The development is expected to have far-reaching implications for petroleum marketers, many of whom source products directly from the refinery for nationwide distribution.

It also raises fresh questions about the future of the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude initiative, which was introduced to strengthen domestic refining, reduce pressure on foreign exchange demand and help stabilise fuel prices.

Although the refinery has fixed a dollar benchmark for product sales, the retail pump price of petrol across the country will continue to depend on several factors, including the prevailing naira-dollar exchange rate, international crude oil prices, transportation and logistics costs, regulatory charges and marketers’ margins.

With Dangote Refinery now accounting for a substantial share of Nigeria’s refined petroleum supply, industry stakeholders are expected to closely monitor how the new pricing regime influences fuel prices and competition in the deregulated downstream petroleum market.

 

Source: Tribune

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Nigeria Strengthens Maritime Leadership as Fadahunsi Emerges Vice Chairman of Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission

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The Hydrographer of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hydrographic Agency (NHA), Rear Admiral OO Fadahunsi, has been elected Vice Chairman of the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission (EAtHC) for the 2026–2028 term, further reinforcing Nigeria’s growing influence in regional and global maritime governance.

Rear Admiral Fadahunsi’s election was confirmed on Friday, 3 July 2026, during the ongoing EAtHC Conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where member states endorsed his emergence to one of the commission’s most strategic leadership positions.

Established on 26 November 1984 under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission was founded by France, Nigeria, Portugal and Spain. Over the past four decades, the commission has expanded significantly, comprising 11 member states, 10 associate members and six observers committed to promoting hydrographic excellence across the Eastern Atlantic region.

The commission plays a pivotal role in advancing hydrography, nautical cartography and maritime safety through capacity-building initiatives, the development and implementation of International (INT) Charts and Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) schemes, improved hydrographic surveys, enhanced charting standards, effective dissemination of nautical information and sustained advocacy on the importance of hydrography to regional maritime development.

Since its inaugural conference in Paris, France, in April 1986, the EAtHC has convened biennially to strengthen collaboration among member states and chart the future of hydrographic development.

In another significant endorsement of Nigeria’s expanding maritime profile, the country has been selected to host the next EAtHC Conference in June 2028. Nigeria will also host the 25th Meeting of the Capacity Building Sub-Committee (CBSC25) and the 19th Meeting of the Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC19) in June 2027, positioning the country at the centre of major international hydrographic engagements.

Rear Admiral Fadahunsi’s election is widely regarded as a testament to Nigeria’s sustained investment in hydrographic development, maritime safety and regional cooperation. It also reflects growing international confidence in the National Hydrographic Agency’s contributions to safer navigation, marine resource management and the blue economy.

As Nigeria prepares to welcome leading hydrographers, maritime regulators and technical experts from across the world over the next two years, the country is poised to consolidate its reputation as a key driver of hydrographic innovation and maritime security in the Eastern Atlantic region.

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Canada Publishes 2 Official Websites to Find Jobs, Says Over 2,000 Vacancies Are Posted Daily 

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Canada has made it easier for unemployed individuals and foreigners who wish to live and work in the country to find jobs that can help them live comfortably and meet their basic responsibilities.

On the official Canadian government website, two links are provided to websites where job seekers can find available jobs in Canada

According to the Canadian government website, applicants who apply for jobs through these platforms can get hired by different companies, as more than 2,000 jobs are posted every day.

Aside from these two websites, the Canadian government explains that individuals can also use employment agencies to help them find jobs that match their skills.

A job seeker can also ask friends or family members if there are job openings or vacancies, as not all positions are advertised on these websites.

1. Job Bank

The Canadian government explains that thousands of jobs are advertised on this platform every day by organisations and companies. The link to access the website can be found in the detailed post published on the Canadian government website.

2. Jobs GC

Another website where foreigners who wish to work in Canada or Canadian citizens can find government jobs is the Jobs GC website. Federal public service jobs are advertised on the website, alongside several other opportunities that may match an applicant’s skills.

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