Kyari stated this on Tuesday shortly after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock.
The NNPCL boss explained that with deregulation of the oil sector, market realities will force the price of petrol up sometimes and at other times force it down.
He said the increase in the pump price per litre of petrol from over N500 to N617 is not a supply issue, assuring Nigerians that the country has “robust supply” of the vital commodity.
Kyari maintained that Nigeria has over 32 days of supply and not short of petrol.
He stated that the marketing team of the NNPCL is responsible for price adjustment and that the team “adjust prices depending on market realities”.
“This is really what is happening; this is making sure that the market regulates itself so that the prices will go up and sometimes, it will come down also”, Channels Television quoted Kyari as saying.
He assured Nigerians that the country is not in short supply of the essential commodity, adding that the rising price of petrol has nothing to do with supply difficulties.
“There is no supply issue; when you go to the market, you buy the product, you come to the market and sell it at the prevailing market prices, nothing to do with supply issues.
“We have robust supply; we have over 32 days of supply within the country,” he added.
He said allowing market realities to determine the price of fuel is the way to go.
“What I know is that the market forces will regulate the market; prices will go down sometimes, sometimes it will go up, but there will be stability of supply. I am also assuring Nigerians that this is the best way to go forward so that we can adjust prices when prices go up,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, who also addressed reporters, corroborated Kyari’s position on market forces.