The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, to urgently intervene against alleged monopolistic practices in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Speaking at an event over the weekend, NARTO President Yusuf Othman explained that monopoly poses a serious threat to the survival of the petroleum transportation industry. He stressed the need for “a fair pricing mechanism that will make the transportation of petroleum products sustainable and profitable.”
Othman declared, “However, let me state clearly that the association will continue to stand firm against the marginalization and outright emasculation of transporters by any monopolistic operators within the midstream and downstream petroleum industry.
“Through sustained, high-level diplomatic engagements with industry stakeholders and regulatory authorities, NARTO has remained a strong and credible voice in defense of its members. While commending the role of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), we hope it will continue to ensure the viability of the sector through fair pricing mechanisms that make petroleum transportation sustainable and profitable.”
He reiterated that the association would not relent in resisting practices that undermine transporters’ operations and profitability.
In his goodwill message, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, urged transport operators to prioritize safety, emphasizing that road safety is a shared responsibility requiring collective commitment and action.
Similarly, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, in a message delivered by the Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Alhaji Musa Babayo, assured transporters that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to fixing deteriorating federal roads nationwide.
The development comes amid a recent increase in fuel prices to between N875 and N899 per liter in Abuja, following a January 2026 adjustment in gantry prices by the Dangote Refinery. Although the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery later reduced its gantry price by N25 per liter, the adjustment has yet to reflect in retail pump prices.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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