On Tuesday, there was widespread anger in Anambra State due to a sudden increase in the price of petrol. The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) rose from N530 to N700 per litre. Commuters and motorists were greatly affected by this price hike. Many people rushed to petrol stations and purchased larger quantities of petrol, fearing that the price would further increase to N800 on Wednesday.
Initially, petrol stations in major cities like Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka were selling petrol at N530 per litre. However, as news of the price increase spread, independent oil marketers operating in the state temporarily shut down their filling stations and refused to sell petrol for several hours. They later resumed operations after an emergency meeting in Awka and adjusted their pump prices to reflect the new price of N700 per litre.
As a consequence of this development, transportation fares rose by over 30%. Commuters had to pay N300 for a journey that cost N200 in the morning. Many people who were taken by surprise and couldn’t afford the new prices were left stranded, resulting in anger and frustration. Some individuals were seen walking to their destinations in protest.
Different petrol stations had varying prices. Along the Upper Iweka on the Onitsha-Owerri Road, petrol was sold at N700 per litre. NNPCL facilities located along the Awka-Enugu Road and other marketers sold petrol for prices ranging from N620 to N650 per litre, while some filling stations in Nnewi sold it for N690 per litre.
It was also noticed that some independent sales outlets had closed earlier in anticipation of selling petrol at higher prices from Wednesday.
A manager at a petrol station in Onitsha mentioned that they received a call from another station instructing them to temporarily suspend operations and adjust their meter to reflect the new price increase announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL). The manager stated that they initially sold fuel for N530 per litre on Tuesday but were later informed by their head office to adjust it to N700.
A commercial transport operator in Onitsha expressed his frustration and mentioned that he was filling up his tank and buying petrol in jerry cans to stock up for the following days. He believed that the price might rise to N800. He also mentioned that transportation prices would have to increase due to the situation, and more people would be forced to walk if the situation worsened.
