Petrol prices in Calabar are coming under increasing pressure as competing marketers push depot prices lower, narrowing the gap with Lagos, Nigeria’s traditional low-price hub for refined petroleum products.
Price data for Friday, August 14, 2026, reviewed by Petroleumprice.ng, shows several Calabar depots quoting petrol between ₦1,179 and ₦1,185 per litre, following a series of downward revisions. The reductions have intensified competition among marketers operating in the market, with some prices now matching or approaching prevailing Lagos depot rates.
The latest figures indicate that Soroman and Northwest are offering PMS at ₦1,179 and ₦1,180 per litre, respectively, while Hong Petroleum, Fynefield and Sobaz are quoting between ₦1,180 and ₦1,183/litre. Jenny Depot is at ₦1,182/litre, while other Calabar outlets are selling at ₦1,183–₦1,185/litre.
The movement is significant because Lagos has traditionally maintained some of the country’s most competitive depot prices, largely because of its proximity to major import terminals, ports and large-scale refining and distribution infrastructure.
In Lagos, Friday’s PMS prices ranged from ₦1,170 to ₦1,180/litre among the depots captured. 11Plc and Nipco were quoted at ₦1,170/litre, while Aiteo was at ₦1,175/litre. Integrated, Pinnacle, Ardova, Bono and African Terminal were around ₦1,179–₦1,180/litre.
The data therefore shows that Calabar prices have not yet fallen below the lowest Lagos price of ₦1,170/litre, but several Calabar depots have moved below or matched the higher end of Lagos quotations. This has sharply reduced the traditional price advantage associated with the Lagos market.
Industry sources attribute the unusual movement in Calabar largely to aggressive competition among marketers seeking to attract buyers and secure market share. Rather than the reductions being driven solely by changes at the depot level, marketers operating in the market are increasingly influencing the direction of prices through their purchasing and selling strategies.
The competitive pressure has produced a series of price revisions within a short period, with individual Calabar depots repeatedly adjusting their PMS prices downward.
For instance, Soroman moved through successive revisions before reaching ₦1,179/litre, while Hong Petroleum and Fynefield also dropped their prices to around ₦1,180/litre. Sobaz and Northwest have similarly adjusted their prices to remain competitive.
The pattern suggests that marketers are responding to one another's selling prices, creating a price-war environment in which depots face pressure to keep their quotations attractive to buyers.
This development is particularly notable in Calabar, where a market involving several depots is now seeing unusually tight price competition.
Unlike Lagos, where the concentration of import, refining and distribution infrastructure naturally supports competitive pricing, Calabar is farther from the country's main supply and import gateways. The emergence of prices close to Lagos levels therefore represents a significant shift in the regional downstream market.
However, the current figures also show that Lagos remains marginally cheaper at the bottom of the market. The ₦1,170/litre quotations from 11Plc and Nipco are ₦9/litre below Soroman's ₦1,179/litre price in Calabar.
The narrowing differential nonetheless points to a more competitive Calabar market, with marketers appearing increasingly willing to adjust their margins to maintain sales volumes.
For depot operators, sustained marketer-led competition could make pricing less predictable as buyers gravitate towards the cheapest available supply. For marketers, the strategy could provide an opportunity to capture larger volumes, although lower selling prices could also compress margins if depot acquisition costs remain unchanged.
The latest movement indicates that the Calabar market is becoming increasingly responsive to marketer strategies, with successive price cuts reshaping the relationship between the region and the traditionally cheaper Lagos market.