NNPC App Users Get N66 Petrol Cut as Revenue Impact Could Reach N4.62bn

Motorists seeking the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited's temporary petrol price reduction must use the company's mobile application and complete payment digitally, rather than simply purchasing fuel at the normal station checkout.

Checks reported by Punch at NNPC outlets in Abuja on Friday found that customers paying through the regular pump process were charged N1,405 per litre. Users who completed their purchases through the NNPC application paid N1,339, creating a N66 difference for each litre bought under the promotion. Similar arrangements were observed at other company stations in the Federal Capital Territory.

The offer began on October 1 as part of activities marking Nigeria's 66th Independence anniversary and has now been extended through October 31. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele said the arrangement was initially designed to encourage adoption of NNPC's digital platform before the government asked that the period be prolonged as temporary support during higher fuel prices.

The way the discount is accessed means motorists without the application do not automatically receive the lower rate. Punch noted that this could affect how easily some commercial transport operators and other customers who are unfamiliar with digital payment systems benefit from the programme.

Based on figures discussed by Oyedele, NNPC Retail supplies roughly 70 million litres of petrol in an average month. At N1,405 per litre, that quantity would produce gross sales of about N98.35bn. Applying the N1,339 app price to the same volume would reduce gross receipts to approximately N93.73bn, creating a difference of N4.62bn.

That calculation represents a maximum estimate based on every litre qualifying for the promotion. The actual amount would depend on how much petrol is bought through the application during the offer period. The N4.62bn figure also does not automatically represent a profit loss, because NNPC says the reduction is being absorbed from its retail margin.

Oyedele said NNPC buys petrol commercially, including supplies from Dangote Refinery, before adding operating costs and profit to determine its retail price. According to the government's explanation, the company is temporarily giving up part of that margin rather than receiving public money to lower the pump price.

The minister also said public transport operators should receive priority under the intervention. NNPC, meanwhile, has maintained that the programme does not restore the previous petrol subsidy system or establish a single regulated pump price across Nigeria. It says market-based pricing will continue while the promotional reduction remains available at its retail network until the end of October.