Fuel queues return across Nigeria as marketers hike petrol prices above N1,000 per litre

‎Long queues are beginning to build up across fuel stations in Nigeria as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, increased to above N1,000 per litre.

‎Market survey as of Saturday morning revealed that private car owners and commercial bus drivers are starting to form long lines at MRS stations, especially along the Ibadan/Lagos Expressway, for petrol currently sold at N937 per litre.

‎Other stations along the same axis, however, do not have as many queues as the MRS station at Alapere, as most have increased pump prices above N1,000.

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‎While Eterna Plc has hiked price to N1,040, North West Capital Oil, and Fatgbems also adjusted their prices to N1,030 per litre, with Mobil Station’s a bit lower at N1,025 per litre.

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‎Despite the rush for petrol, few stations, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, have shut their gates against buyers.

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‎The state oil company’s station at OPIC Estate remains shut as of 7:00 AM Saturday. It could not be ascertained whether the move was due to product shortages or otherwise.

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‎Also, some of TotalEnergies stations along the Expressway were not selling product as of the time of filing this report, while others recorded just a few buyers lurking at their gates.

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‎A commercial driver, Mr. Sulaiman Adeyemi, expressed frustration over the situation, saying the rising fuel price has made daily operations increasingly difficult.

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‎“We are the ones people blame for increasing fares, but they don’t realise how much we now spend on petrol. If we buy fuel at over N1,000 per litre, we have no choice but to adjust our fares,” he said.

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‎Another motorist, Mrs. Funke Oladipo, said she had spent several hours moving from one filling station to another in search of petrol.

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‎“I have been driving around since morning with my jerry can looking for where to buy fuel. Some stations that opened earlier have already closed their gates. It is becoming very frustrating,” she lamented.

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‎The adjustment followed a jump in oil prices to $84 per barrel, up from below $70 days before the airstrikes involving the United States, Iran, Israel, and other countries.

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‎Reports surfaced on Tuesday that Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals had increased the ex-depot price of petrol from N774 to N874 per litre, representing a N100 hike.

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‎Dangote’s price hike was after an economist, Paul Alaje, on Monday, warned that petrol prices in Nigeria could climb to about N1,000 per litre if the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran was not effectively managed.

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