Despite General Price Slump, Average Fuel Cost Exceeds N1,000/Litre Nationwide

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

In spite of a significant general decrease in fuel prices in the country, Nigeria’s market remained under acute strain in November 2025 as average retail costs of both petrol and diesel stayed stubbornly high, reinforcing pricing pressures on households, transporters and manufacturers.

A THISDAY analysis of the November price reports for petrol and diesel released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that despite modest month-on-month movements in some locations, the overall national picture remained elevated, with wide regional disparities.

For petrol, consumers across most states paid well above the psychologically important N1,000 per litre threshold, with national averages clustering in a narrow but high band.

Northern states, particularly in the North-east and North-west, recorded some of the highest average pump prices, reflecting a mix of logistics costs, security-related supply constraints and distance from major supply hubs.

For instance Borno and parts of the North-east stood out at the upper end of the price spectrum, reinforcing a long-running pattern in which insecurity and haulage risks translate directly into higher consumer prices.

In contrast, some southern states, especially in the South-west, posted comparatively lower averages, although prices stayed above historical norms, suggesting that proximity to supply points continue to provide some insulation from pricing pressures facing the downstream market.

According to the NBS data, for petrol, the national average retail price stood at N1,061.35 per litre in November 2025, representing a 12.6 per cent decline from the N1,214.17 per litre recorded in November 2024.

Compared with October 2025, when the national average stood at N1,052.31 per litre, petrol prices rose by 0.86 per cent in November. While modest, the increase indicated that the relief from earlier declines may be losing momentum.

State-level data also revealed wide disparities, as November petrol prices ranged from lows around the N1,000–N1,050 band in parts of the South-west to highs exceeding N1,200 per litre in several northern states.

Yobe recorded one of the highest average prices at about N1,085 per litre, while Zamfara averaged roughly N1,067 per litre. In contrast, states such as Lagos and Ogun remained among the cheaper markets, reflecting their proximity to supply points and relatively lower transport costs.

“The average retail price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) for November 2025 was N1,061.35, indicating a 12.59 per cent decrease compared to the value recorded in November 2024 (N1,214.17). Likewise, comparing the average price value with that of the previous month (i.e. October 2025), the average retail price increased by 0.86 per cent from N1,052.31.

“On state profile analysis, Borno state had the highest average retail price for premium motor spirit, at N1,133.86. Sokoto and Kogi states were next, with N1,118.83 and N1,111.00, respectively. Conversely, Oyo, Nasarawa and Lagos states had the lowest average retail prices for petrol at N997.39, N1,015.12, and N1,021.14, respectively.

“Lastly, on the zonal profile, the North-east zone had the highest average retail price of N1,084.04, while the South-west zone had the lowest price of N1,036.12,” the NBS data indicated.

Diesel prices followed a similar but more burdensome trajectory as the national average retail price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stood at N1,531.34 per litre in November 2025, confirming its position as one of the costliest major fuel products.  While this represented a decline compared with November 2024, when the national average was significantly higher, diesel prices remained far above levels that businesses consider sustainable. On a month-on-month basis, diesel prices also edged up. From an October 2025 average of about N1,518 per litre, November prices increased by just under 1 per cent, mirroring the trend seen in petrol.

State-level diesel data again shows sharp contrasts, with average prices exceeding N1,600 per litre in several northern and inland states, while some coastal states posted averages closer to N1,450–N1,480 per litre. These differences reflect the heavy impact of transport costs on diesel pricing, given that AGO is almost entirely trucked across the country.

Taken together, the November data painted a mixed picture, as the double-digit year-on-year decline in petrol prices offered some evidence that the downstream market is gradually adjusting after the shock of subsidy removal and exchange-rate realignment.

“The average retail price of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) paid by consumers decreased by 2.57 per cent on a year-on-year basis from a higher cost of N1446.83 per liter recorded in the corresponding month of last year (i.e., November 2024) to a lower cost of N1409.61 per liter in November 2025.

“On a month-on-month basis, an increase of 0.79 per cent was recorded from N1398.57 in October 2025 to an average of N1409.61 in November 2025. Looking at the variations in the State prices, the top three states with the highest average price of the product in November 2025 include Niger State (N1477.57), Jigawa State (N1477.31), and Enugu State (N1468.29). Further-more, the top three lowest prices were recorded in the following states namely, Kebbi State (N1308.94), Katsina State (N1315.78), and Nasarawa State (N1325.29).

“The zonal representation of the average price of diesel shows that the South-east zone has the highest price of N1419.34 while the South-south zone has the lowest price of N1400.58 compared to other zones,” the report added.