Nigerians Cry Out For Help As Fuel Scarcity Persists For Over 3 Weeks
In November 2021, the Nigerian government announced that it would be removing fuel subsidies. This led to small pockets of fuel scarcity queues in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. The residents of this African country had no idea that the fuel scarcity would get worse and even lead to an increase in fuel pump prices.
Contaminated Fuel Caused The Second Fuel Scarcity
The recent scarcity started in early February with reports of contaminated fuel from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The regulatory body detected methanol in much higher levels than required in the latest supply of gasoline to the country. Methanol, in higher amounts, can have an adverse effect on engines.
Nigerians have taken to social media to complain about the damage to their vehicles and generators after purchasing low-quality petrol. One Twitter user, @Aunty_Les, based in Port Harcourt, used the social media platform to decry the damage to her vehicle. See the tweet below.
To think my husband is spending almost 200k to fix my car cos I bought 7k bad fuel.
— A. (@Aunty_Les) March 1, 2022
I hate this country.
Other vehicle users have complained about spending time in fuel queues and still buying substandard fuel. The scarcity has worsened in recent times, with residents of the country spending the whole day in gas stations. The scarcity has also affected other parts of the economy, such as transportation and even food.
There are fewer public transportation vehicles for workers to use. This has led to mass trekking daily in major cities. Food prices are also skyrocketing, and this is to be expected when there is a scarcity of fuel.
Pump Price Rises To Over 200 Naira Per Liter
Despite the queues, fuel prices have risen to over 200 Naira per liter from 165 per liter. In some major states, residents have resorted to buying fuel for up to 540 Naira per liter from black market dealers. "Black market" is a term for unauthorized resellers who buy from fuel stations at regular prices and resell them at outrageous prices.
Such petroleum products can be harmful because they are not regulated. In some cases, chemicals are added to the petroleum product to increase the quantity. Short-term use of such products in your vehicle or mechanical devices like generators can ruin the engines. However, the fuel scarcity has pushed some Nigerians to patronize black market sellers despite the risk involved.
Poor Power Supply Has Worsened The Fuel Scarcity
The country has also been hit by an erratic power supply in recent times and this has made things worse for residents of the third world country. The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, attributed the current erratic power supply to low water levels in the country’s dams used in electricity generation. However, he assured residents that the government is working towards a solution.
Businesses are feeling the heat more than most. Lots of businesses have reviewed their prices to reflect the current economic reality. This has made things even harder for residents of the country. Residents of major cities who are affected the most are pleading with the government to help solve the problem promptly so that business can go on as usual.