Organised Labour and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have accused the Federal Government and petroleum industry operators of worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians through successive increases in the prices of petroleum products.

They also faulted the government for failing to exercise effective regulatory oversight over the deregulated downstream petroleum sector.

The reactions followed the latest increase in petrol prices recorded across the country on Wednesday, which the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) attributed to repeated price adjustments by the Dangote Refinery.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) described the latest increase as troubling, particularly against the backdrop of relative stability in international crude oil prices and recent improvements in the foreign exchange market.

NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, accused dominant operators in the sector of exploiting their market position, while faulting regulators for failing to rein in what he described as excessive pricing.

“There is a gang-up against Nigerian masses by the elite, unfortunately with the seeming support of the ruling class,” Onyeka said.

He argued that the current market situation demonstrated the dangers of allowing monopolistic tendencies to persist in the downstream petroleum sector.

Onyeka called for the revival of Nigeria’s public refineries, saying greater local refining capacity would help reduce the dominance of a few operators and ease pressure on consumers.

Similarly, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) accused the government of prioritising the interests of major oil operators over the welfare of Nigerians.

HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, questioned why locally refined petrol and imported products were being sold at almost similar prices.

“The NLC is spot on. How can you explain why the only oil refinery in Nigeria and those who import petroleum products are selling at almost the same price?” he asked.

He argued that the prices should be more competitive under a deregulated market.

Also speaking, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the latest increase was coming at a time when Nigerians were already grappling with high transportation costs, food inflation and declining purchasing power.

Rafsanjani said deregulation should not amount to the absence of regulation, transparency or consumer protection.

He called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and other relevant agencies to conduct an evidence-based review of the current petrol pricing template.

He also urged regulators to investigate possible price fixing, coordinated pricing, market dominance, artificial scarcity and other anti-competitive practices.

ActionAid Nigeria Country Director, Dr Andrew Mamedu, also expressed concern over the impact of the latest increase on households and businesses.

Mamedu said regulators should examine the entire pricing chain from refineries to filling stations and establish the factors responsible for the latest adjustments.

He said government should protect vulnerable Nigerians from the impact of energy-price increases through measures such as affordable public transportation, targeted social protection and support for farmers and low-income households.

Meanwhile, IPMAN attributed the latest increase to repeated adjustments in the gantry price of petrol by the Dangote Refinery.

IPMAN Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, said the refinery had increased its gantry price from N1,165 per litre to N1,185 and subsequently N1,200 within seven days.

“Every time Dangote increases his price, our price will also rise,” Ukadike said, explaining that independent marketers could not continue selling below their replacement costs.

The latest adjustments have also been reflected at filling stations in Abuja. NNPC Retail stations increased their pump price from N1,250 to N1,270 per litre, while TotalEnergies moved from N1,250 to N1,275 per litre. Bovas stations also adjusted their prices from N1,253 to about N1,275 per litre.

Ukadike attributed petrol price fluctuations to factors including international crude oil prices, foreign exchange movements and geopolitical developments affecting global oil supplies.

He, however, expressed optimism that Dangote Refinery’s free transportation initiative for marketers could reduce distribution costs and ease pressure on pump prices if sustained.

The IPMAN spokesman also called for increased access to crude oil for domestic refineries, arguing that stronger local refining capacity would boost competition and could eventually enable Nigeria to export refined petroleum products.

He questioned the continued importation of petrol when locally refined products were reportedly available at lower prices.

“When the products that are being imported are higher than the ones Dangote is giving us, what is the essence of importing it, putting pressure on our dollar?” he asked.

The latest development has renewed concerns over the impact of petrol price volatility on transportation, food prices, businesses and household incomes, with labour and civil society groups demanding greater transparency and stronger regulatory oversight of the downstream petroleum sector.