Posted by Chinenye on Wed 23rd Sep, 2026 - tori.ng
Oil Minister Heineken Lokpobiri says Nigeria cannot just reduce petrol prices whenever people demand it because the price is linked to the global oil market.
(Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri. Photo Credit: X/Instablog)
A government minister named Heineken Lokpobiri said Nigeria cannot just lower the price of petrol whenever it wants because the rules allow the oil sector to set its own prices.
He said Nigerians are already getting a good deal because petrol in Nigeria costs less than petrol in the United States.
Lokpobiri was speaking to a journalist and explaining why petrol is expensive in Nigeria.
He said that even though Nigeria produces its own crude oil and refines it at the Dangote Refinery, the price must follow what is happening in the global market.
He said this is the same as how other countries do things.
He said the government does not have the power to just lower petrol prices whenever Nigerians complain.
He said this is because the oil sector is completely deregulated, which means the government does not control the prices.
Lokpobiri pointed out that the United States produces a lot of crude oil and has many refineries.
Yet petrol in America costs more than petrol in Nigeria.
He said this shows that Nigeria is already getting a better price than other countries.
A journalist asked why Nigeria should have to suffer when crude oil is dug up in Nigeria, refined in Nigeria at the Dangote Refinery and sold to Nigerians.
He asked why Nigerians should still pay international prices and deal with changes in the exchange rate of the naira when all the work happens in Nigeria.
Lokpobiri replied that prices are set by the global market.
He said even countries that produce a lot of oil like Saudi Arabia sell their oil at global prices.
He said Nigeria's petrol price is still lower than the price in other parts of the world.
He said this situation is not just Nigeria's problem but happens everywhere.