The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has raised its petrol pump price to ₦1,405 per litre from ₦1,370, amid controversy over the accessibility of a government-backed fuel discount.

The latest increase was announced on Thursday and implemented on Friday, October 16. Fuel attendants reportedly said the adjustment followed a brief return to the lower price earlier in the week. NNPCL had not publicly explained the latest increase in the reports reviewed.

The price adjustment comes as the Federal Government and NNPCL face questions over a ₦66-per-litre discount introduced to provide temporary relief to motorists amid rising fuel costs.

Under the arrangement, petrol sold at the regular pump price of ₦1,405 costs ₦1,339 per litre for eligible customers who use the NNPC Fuel App and complete payment digitally.

A check by National Daily at NNPC retail stations in Abuja found that customers paying directly at the pumps were charged ₦1,405 per litre, while app users paid the discounted rate. The newspaper also reported similar arrangements at other NNPC outlets in the Federal Capital Territory.

The requirement to use the app has raised concerns about how easily motorists without smartphones, reliable internet access or familiarity with digital payments can benefit from the price reduction.

In a statement issued on October 9, NNPCL said the discount, initially introduced on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, had been extended until October 31 across its retail stations nationwide.

The company described the initiative as a temporary customer-relief measure and stressed that it did not represent a return to petrol subsidy.

It also clarified that the discount applied to NNPCL retail outlets and was not intended to establish a uniform national pump price or change the market-based pricing framework for petroleum products.

Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele had explained that the discount was intended to provide temporary relief while encouraging customers to adopt NNPCL’s digital payment platform. According to Punch, the government also encouraged the company to prioritise public transport operators under the arrangement.

The difference between the regular and discounted prices means motorists who do not use the app continue to pay the full pump price at NNPCL stations, despite the announced relief.

The arrangement has prompted questions about the reach of the intervention, particularly for commercial transport operators and other motorists who may find digital payment difficult.

The discount also does not guarantee that petrol will be cheaper at every NNPCL station than at competing retailers, as prices vary across marketers and locations.

NNPCL has maintained that the initiative is commercially structured and funded through its retail margin rather than a restoration of the former subsidy regime.

With the discount scheduled to run until October 31, the latest pump-price increase has renewed attention on how the temporary relief is being implemented and whether eligible customers can access it easily.

For now, ₦1,405 per litre remains the reported regular pump price at NNPCL outlets, while the ₦1,339 rate is available to customers who meet the app-based payment conditions. The company’s latest price adjustment had not been accompanied by a publicly reported explanation in the sources reviewed.