Fuel scarcity has reportedly returned to Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, with petrol being sold at N617 per litre in various filling stations, including those owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). There are also reports of fuel queues and some closed-down stations due to the petrol hike in Abuja and Lagos.
One example is the Eternal petrol station in the Kubwa district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which was selling fuel at N617 per litre. Additionally, queues were observed at several petrol stations in the Lugbe district of Abuja, where fuel was also being sold at the same high price.
This situation follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent statement that fuel subsidy has been removed, leading to an increase in petrol pump prices. Prices have surged from around N200 to over N500 per litre.
While some groups have commended the president’s prompt action in removing petrol subsidy, which was considered to be a drain on the country’s economy, the rising fuel prices have caused concerns among the public.
According to data from the analytics platform Picodi.com, petrol prices in Nigeria have become 163% more expensive in the first half of 2023.
As of now, the spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Garba Deen Muhammad, could not be reached for comments regarding the sudden spike in petrol prices.
