Nigerian filling stations in Abuja cut petrol pump prices on Saturday, barely 24 hours after raising them to N1,440 per litre. Ranoil, Empire Energy and other outlets adjusted their rates to N1,365 and N1,375 per litre, trimming N65 to N75 from Friday’s prices.
The shift came after Abuja stations had lifted prices on Wednesday and then pushed them higher again on Friday, when many motorists were paying N1,440 per litre. By Saturday, most filling station outlets were dispensing petrol between N1,365 and N1,375 per litre as marketers tried to attract patronage from customers.
The price swing in the capital followed a broader nationwide increase three days earlier, when retail pump prices moved to between N1,365 and N1,440 per litre. Dangote Refinery and depot owners had raised ex-depot prices to around N1,275 and N1,290 per litre, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and MRS Bovas stations lifted theirs to about N1,365 per litre and other outlets went above N1,440.
For Abuja residents, the numbers translated quickly into daily strain. Many car owners shifted to public transport after the hike. Low-income earners began trekking to work to cope with higher fares. The Kubwa expressway and the Suleja-Madalla axis saw lighter traffic on weekdays, while some residents were stranded at bus stops and commercial drivers took fewer vehicles onto the roads.
Sholape Kolowole said she had stopped using her car for months because she could not afford petrol, while James Obasi said the fuel situation had hurt small businesses in Kubwa village. Emmanuel Ajayi said he had been unable to fuel his car for months, and Hajiya Hafsat Umar called for wider CNG infrastructure nationwide. The latest cut may bring a short pause in Abuja’s fuel shock, but it does not change the pressure that forced commuters, drivers and small operators off the road in the first place.
