By Abiola Olawale
A wave of public anger has swept across Nigeria as petrol pump prices officially breached the ₦1,000 per litre mark in several states on Saturday.
The surge follows a series of rapid ex-depot price hikes by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and subsequent adjustments by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
What was feared as a projection became reality on March 6, 2026, as independent marketers in northern states like Sokoto, Katsina, and Gombe began retailing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for as high as ₦1,050.
Even in the South-East, prices have consolidated between ₦950 and ₦1,000 at several outlets.
Queues have once again started building up at petrol stations across Ibadan and surrounding communities as the pump price of petrol climbs to between N1,020 and N1,080 per litre.
The sudden rise in price has started to impact transportation costs across the country with commuters already experiencing increases in fares on several routes.
A commercial driver, Mr. Sulaiman Adeyemi, expressed frustration over the situation, saying the rising fuel price has made daily operations increasingly difficult.
“We are the ones people blame for increasing fares, but they don’t realise how much we now spend on petrol. If we buy fuel at over N1,000 per litre, we have no choice but to adjust our fares,” he said.
Another motorist, Mrs. Funke Oladipo, said she had spent several hours moving from one filling station to another in search of petrol.
“I have been driving around since morning with my jerry can looking for where to buy fuel. Some stations that opened earlier have already closed their gates. It is becoming very frustrating,” she lamented.
