NNPCL Ties N66 Petrol Discount To Mobile App, Excludes Pump Buyers As Revenue May Drop By N4.62bn

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has restricted its N66-per-litre petrol discount to customers who download its mobile application and pay digitally, leaving motorists who pay directly at filling station pumps unable to access the price reduction.

Checks at NNPCL retail outlets in Abuja on Friday revealed that petrol was still selling at N1,405 per litre for customers paying at the pumps, while those using the company’s mobile application paid N1,339 per litre.

At the NNPCL mega station along Obasanjo Way, a fuel attendant confirmed that customers must download the application and complete their transactions through it to qualify for the discount.

“You can only qualify for the N66 discount if you download the app. You would also make payment via the application. So, it is not yet directly when you come to our pump stations,” the attendant said.

“You just download the app and follow the procedure. We are still selling at N1,405, but in the app it is N1,339,” the attendant added.

The arrangement means motorists who purchase petrol directly at the pumps without using the application do not automatically enjoy the discount, raising questions about how easily commercial transport operators and other motorists unfamiliar with the digital platform can access the relief.

The discount was initially introduced on October 1 to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. Following an announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, on Thursday, NNPCL extended the promotion until October 31.

The government said the initiative was intended to provide temporary relief amid rising international crude oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

NNPCL could forgo an estimated N4.62bn in gross revenue under the discount arrangement, based on the company’s reported monthly petrol sales volume of 70 million litres.

Oyedele, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said NNPCL Retail supplied about 70 million litres of petrol monthly. Using the prevailing pump price of N1,405 per litre, the volume would generate approximately N98.35bn in gross sales revenue. At the discounted price of N1,339 per litre, the same volume would generate N93.73bn, representing a difference of N4.62bn.

The estimate assumes that all 70 million litres qualify for the discount. The actual revenue reduction would depend on the volume purchased through the application and the company’s sales during the promotional period. The figure does not necessarily represent a loss of profit, as NNPCL maintains that the discount is being funded from its retail margin.

Oyedele explained that the initiative was originally conceived as a promotional offer to encourage customers to adopt the company’s digital platform.

“On 1st of October, they said Nigeria is turning 66. They did an app. They wanted people to adopt it. Promo. They said, if you come and buy fuel and you download our app, you get 66 Naira less,” he said.

The minister disclosed that he contacted NNPCL to establish whether the reduction could affect its financial position.

“So I called them and said, this is your 66 Naira. Are you sure it’s not over-recovering that you tell me that you’re taking money from a digital account? They said, no. I said, okay. Now, since we are doing this, why don’t you go and calculate how much is your profit? And limit that discount to your profit,” Oyedele stated.

NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, confirmed that the discount would continue until October 31 at its retail stations nationwide, describing the measure as customer relief and not a return of fuel subsidy.

In a statement, Odeh said access was restricted to the NNPCL Fuel App to “ensure effective control, prevent abuse, and ensure the benefit reaches intended customers.” He added that the initiative was also intended to encourage wider adoption of the application and improve the customer experience.

The company said the discount applies only to NNPCL Retail outlets and does not establish a uniform national pump price or alter the market-based pricing framework governing petroleum products.

Motorists have questioned the approach, arguing that a public relief initiative should not depend on an application that some customers might lack the devices, data or network access to use.

“If the discount is meant for Nigerians, why must everybody be forced to use an app before they can benefit? The government should apply it directly at the pump. Not everyone has a smartphone, and not everyone can afford data,” said Segun Komolafe, a motorist.

Another commercial driver, Musa Ibrahim, said he could not access the discount because the station he visited required payment through the application.

“We heard that the government said there is a discount, but when I got to the station, they told me to use the app. I do not have data all the time, and some of us do not even know how to use the app very well,” he said.

Esther Danjuma, a private car owner, described the requirement as unfair to motorists in smaller towns and rural communities.

“If this discount is truly for Nigerians, it should be on the pump. Someone in a village may not have a smartphone or a reliable network connection. The government should not make relief difficult for the same people it says it wants to help,” she said.