Calabar residents frustrated by rising petrol prices

Some people in Calabar, Cross River State, are worried about the sudden rise in petrol prices. The cost has jumped to between N1,450 and N1,500 per litre.

The residents shared their views in a survey done by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday. NAN visited several fuel stations in Calabar and found that prices have been changed to between N1,450 and N1,500.

Mary Ubong, who works at a major petrol station in the city, said the new price increase is not the fault of petrol sellers. She explained that the wholesale price has gone up by about N85 per litre, which forced sellers to raise their prices to match this change.

"So what you see is a reflection of the increase by wholesalers. It wasn’t caused by retailers," she said.

Ms. Ubong added that petrol was already too expensive at the previous price of around N1,300 per litre. She said, "The new increase will heighten the hardship."

Timothy Adama, another petrol station worker, expressed confusion over the constant rise in petrol prices. He noted that Nigeria has plenty of crude oil, and petrol should not be so expensive for ordinary people.

"The authorities should manage the country’s resources effectively to improve the living conditions of the citizenry. This crude oil belongs to us. I don’t understand why it is this expensive and putting Nigerians in this kind of pain," he said.

Rita Johnson, a businesswoman, also spoke to NAN. She mentioned that the rising petrol prices have started to affect the cost of her products.

Mrs. Johnson said that a bowl of ‘tigernut,’ which used to cost between N600 and N700, now sells for N1,500 because of the new petrol prices.

"With the current reality, it now costs more to produce my drinks for sale. We cannot continue this way," she said.

Reports indicate that the latest increase in petrol prices is due to an adjustment made by Dangote Refinery on 12 September. This change raised the price from about N1,265 to N1,350 per litre, which is an increase of about 6.7 percent.

NAN also reports that this price hike has led to higher costs for transportation, food, and other basic needs.