FG offers ₦66 petrol discount, but NNPC says only Nigerians must download its app to qualify, motorists push back

The discount was announced as part of efforts to ease the pressure of rising petrol prices, with public transport operators expected to receive priority. However, motorists in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun and other locations have questioned why they must use an app to benefit from the price reduction.

In a report published by Leadership, some motorists welcomed the discount but argued that requiring a smartphone, internet data, registration and digital payment could exclude commercial drivers, tricycle operators and other customers who rely on cash transactions.

At an NNPC mega station along Obasanjo Way in Abuja, motorists paying directly at the pump were charged ₦1,405 per litre, while customers using the app paid ₦1,339 per litre, according to the newspaper’s findings.

The difference amounts to ₦66 per litre, but drivers said the requirement could prevent some of the people most affected by high fuel costs from benefiting.

Gbenga Onikoyi, a commercial driver in Ogun State, said motorists were yet to enjoy the full benefits of the initiative. Another driver, Musa Ibrahim, who operates along the Abuja–Keffi route, said the app requirement was a problem for people who did not always have internet data or were unfamiliar with digital payments.

Other motorists called for the discount to be applied directly at filling-station pumps rather than making customers complete additional steps before receiving it.

The complaints extend beyond the app. Some drivers said petrol remained too expensive even with the reduction, calling for deeper and more sustainable price cuts to ease transport costs and the wider cost of living.

In response to the criticism, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, told Leadership that the app-based discount was the same promotion announced as part of the government’s 30-day petrol relief initiative.

Odeh said restricting access to the NNPC Fuel App was intended to ensure effective control, prevent abuse and ensure the benefit reached its intended customers. He also said the promotion was designed to encourage wider adoption of the application.

The discount was initially introduced on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary. NNPC later extended it until October 31, 2026, across its retail stations nationwide.

In a statement issued on October 9, the company said the promotion was intended to provide relief to customers amid elevated global crude oil prices and the resulting impact on domestic petrol prices.

The Federal Government has also maintained that the arrangement is not a return to the petrol subsidy regime abolished in 2023. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele said NNPC Retail would temporarily forgo its retail profit margin to offer the reduction.

Oyedele said the discount was not being funded from the Federation Account. Under the arrangement, NNPC Retail would reduce its margin and pass the savings to customers during the promotional period.

However, the app requirement and the limited reach of NNPC’s retail network have raised questions about how accessible the relief is to motorists across the country. Customers who live far from NNPC stations or lack reliable internet access may find it more difficult to benefit.

The discount also does not establish a uniform petrol price nationwide. NNPC says it applies only at its retail outlets, while prices at other stations continue to reflect their own market conditions.

For motorists, the central question remains whether a temporary ₦66 reduction, accessible only through a mobile application, will provide meaningful relief from high fuel and transport costs.