Motorists, Commuters Decry Petrol Price Hike Above N1,400 Per Litre

Some motorists and commuters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have continued to express concerns over the increase in the pump price of petrol to over N1,400 per litre.

The latest adjustment followed a recent N85 increase in Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s gantry price, from N1,265 to N1,350 per litre, amid a surge in global crude oil prices.

Brent crude is currently trading at 108.60 dollars per barrel as of Thursday, representing a 2.79 per cent increase, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by 4.42 per cent to 105.90 dollars per barrel.

The increase has intensified pressure on downstream operators and triggered further adjustments in petrol prices across the FCT.

Checks by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja showed that filling stations across the FCT had continued to adjust their petrol prices upward.

MRS filling station sold petrol at N1,395 per litre, while Salbas sold at N1,430, Energy Empire at N1,445, Afdin filling station at N1,450 and AY Shafa retail outlet at N1,430 per litre.

The development has forced motorists to pay more for petrol, while commuters have also complained about increases in transportation fares and other living costs.

A motorist in Dutse, Mr Chris Chukwuma, said he bought petrol at N1,430 per litre, lamenting the growing financial pressure caused by soaring fuel prices.

Another motorist in Lugbe, Mr Haruna Sagir, said he bought petrol at an AY Shafa filling station for N1,430 per litre.

He said the impact of rising fuel costs extended beyond transportation to other aspects of daily life.

Another commuter, Doris Atere, said that many people were struggling to cope with the ripple effects of the increase on their livelihoods.

“I find it very difficult to move around for my daily bread again because of the increase in transportation,” she said.

Another motorist, Mr Toba Obatere, said he hardly went out anymore and found it increasingly difficult to feed his family because of the high cost of goods.

“When you get to the market, traders too are complaining that things are high because of the increase in fuel prices,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene by stabilising fuel prices.

A commuter in Kubwa, Mr James Adewale, said transportation from Kubwa to Wuse now costs N1,300 due to the hike in petrol prices.

He said the increase in fuel prices would continue to make foodstuffs more expensive because traders would seek to recover higher transportation costs and still make a profit.

He also called on the Federal Government to intervene and stabilise fuel prices to ease the economic burden on Nigerians.

Public affairs analyst, Mr Jide Ojo, said that in spite of recent increases in domestic fuel prices, petroleum products in Nigeria remained cheaper than in some other African countries.

He cited neighbouring countries like Cameroon and Benin Republic, where he said petrol prices could range between N1,000 and N2,000 per litre.

Ojo, however, cautioned against using fuel prices in other countries as justification for higher prices in Nigeria, adding that income levels and minimum wages must also be considered.

“You can not be earning a minimum wage of N70,000 and spending N1,450 or N1,500 to buy a litre of fuel,” he said.

He also expressed concern about the Federal Government’s promotion of compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol.

He said CNG was promoted by the administration of President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to provide Nigerians with a cheaper alternative to petrol following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“This is 2026. With both of us living in Abuja, how many CNG refuelling stations do we have in Abuja?. How many Nigerians could afford the cost of converting their vehicles to run on CNG?

“Furthermore, motorists can not obtain CNG in the same way they can purchase petrol in containers when fuel becomes unavailable at a nearby filling stations,” he said.

Ojo said that CNG should not be confused with cooking gas, adding that the infrastructure and distribution requirements were different.

He said the Tinubu administration could do more to cushion the effects of price volatility while improving domestic crude supply, refining capacity and access to alternative fuels.

He also called for a more competitive downstream petroleum market, supported by adequate crude supply and expanded CNG infrastructure, to improve consumer access to affordable energy.

The President of Dangote Industries Ltd., Aliko Dangote, had attributed the high price of petrol in Nigeria partly to the continued smuggling of the commodity to neighbouring countries, where it sells higher.

Dangote, in a recent TV interview, said petrol prices in some neighbouring countries were between 30 per cent and 50 per cent higher than in Nigeria.

He said the price difference created a strong financial incentive for traders to move petrol out of the country.

Dangote said the price of petrol in Nigeria could not be considered in isolation from prices in neighbouring countries.

He said the continued movement of Nigerian petrol across the borders was partly driven by the significant difference between domestic prices and those obtainable in neighbouring countries.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)