Africa’s leading crude producer, Nigeria, has been facing a worrying gasoline shortage for nearly a month. It was the import of a large quantity of adulterated gasoline by four traders that led to this situation, according to the national oil company (NNPC). Despite efforts to remove this contaminated product from the market and promises from the authorities, the situation is not improving, Nigerians are forced to wait for hours in long queues to get supplies.
With our correspondent in Lagos, Liza Fabbian
On Awolowo Road, traffic is almost at a standstill. The gas stations that line this avenue located in the upscale district of Ikoyi are stormed, creating huge traffic jams.
Issah is a motorbike driver, he observes the armed police who try to organize the traffic: “ Throughout the city, it is very difficult to find gasoline. If you want electricity at home, to run your car, you have to queue. There are people here since 4am, they sleep here! Everything is blocked. »
Service stations that inflate prices
The effects of this shortage are disastrous for the economy, as workers have to wait several hours under a blazing sun to hope to reach the pump.
Some independent service stations would also take advantage of this to inflate their prices, according to Clément, who is starting to get angry: ” We are an oil producer but our leaders don’t care about the people. I’ve been waiting for five hours… it’s too hot and there’s no gas! We don’t understand
not what is happening in this country! »
Avoid resale on the black market
In an attempt to limit the resale of gasoline on the black market, service stations are now refusing to fill jerry cans and it is becoming difficult to supply generators.
” I already stood in line for two hours this morning, but I had to leave before I reached the pump as I had to pick up the children from school before returning, explains Sunday, who works as a driver for a family. So this is the second time today that I’ve done this. Some sell fuel by the roadside, but it’s more than double the price. »
The national oil company promised a few days ago that almost 2.5 billion liters of additional gasoline would be imported into Nigeria, but there is no visible improvement at the moment.
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