Petrol: Transporters raise fares, commuters groan

Motorists and commuters across the country have continued to grapple with high petrol prices and increasing transport fares despite the Federal Government’s announced fuel discount initiative, with petrol selling for more than N1,400 per litre at some Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail outlets.

Findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that motorists in several states were paying between N1,400 and N1,470 per litre at some NNPC stations, while customers using the company’s mobile application accessed lower prices at selected outlets.

The high cost of petrol has continued to affect commercial transport operators and their passengers.

Some transporters said they could not reduce fares because of fuel costs, vehicle maintenance and other expenses.

Others complained that they could not access the discount because they did not buy petrol from participating NNPC stations or were unfamiliar with the company’s mobile application.

Kwara motorists question access to discount

In Ilorin, Kwara State, motorists were still buying petrol at N1,405 per litre at NNPC retail outlets.

A commercial driver, Kalejaye Yusuf, said the high cost of petrol had made it difficult for transport operators to earn enough from their daily activities.

He explained that drivers had to balance fuel expenses with the need to keep fares affordable for passengers, many of whom were also struggling with rising living costs.

Increasing fares, he said, was not always practical because passengers might be unable to afford the additional charges.

A government worker, Nana Ismail, said the cost of running her car had become a burden, forcing her sometimes to park it and use commercial motorcycles.

A journalist, Azeez Arisekola, questioned the requirement for customers to download and register on the NNPC’s mobile application to access the discount.

“I don’t understand this price discount at all. How do they expect consumers to complete certain steps before accessing the reduced price?” he asked.

Arisekola said the requirement could exclude motorists who were unaware of the process or found it difficult to use the application.

Gombe: High fuel costs push up fares

In Gombe State, petrol sold for N1,425 per litre at NNPC retail outlets.

A motorist, Zainab Mohammad, said she had yet to notice a reduction in petrol prices at the stations she visited.

“I have not noticed any reduction. I still bought at the rate of N1,410 yesterday,” she said.

A trader, Suraj, said the cost of petrol had increased the expense of moving goods, putting additional pressure on businesses and consumers.

He explained that traders might have to raise prices to recover higher transportation costs, further straining household budgets.

A commercial motorcycle operator, Mohammed Sati, said some journeys that previously cost N500 now attracted fares of between N800 and N1,000.

He said operators had to buy fuel before searching for customers, meaning high petrol prices reduced their earnings even when demand for their services was weak.

The increases have left some passengers struggling to afford their daily journeys, while operators say they must recover their running costs to remain in business.

Lagos drivers allege discount not implemented

In Lagos State, the President of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, Abiodun Akintade, alleged that the discount was not being implemented at some NNPC filling stations.

He cited outlets in Ijanikin and Iyana-Iba, where he said petrol was still selling at N1,355 per litre, the same price charged before the discount was announced.

Akintade said he had just visited the NNPC station in Ijanikin, opposite a police station, and found that the price remained unchanged.

He added that the situation was similar at Iyana-Iba.

Kano commuters await relief

In Kano State, petrol sold for N1,420 per litre at NNPC stations visited by Sunday PUNCH, while transport operators said price fluctuations made it difficult to plan their daily expenses.

Three commercial tricycle operators, Abdulkareem Umar, Haruna Yusuf and Tijjani Gwarzo, said prices had fluctuated in recent days, leaving them uncertain about the benefits of the announced discount.

Abdulkareem said he bought petrol at N1,440 per litre from Aliko Oil on Saturday, adding that the difference between prices at NNPC stations and other filling stations was about N10 to N20 per litre.

For commuters, the expected reduction in fares had yet to materialise.

A student, Musa Abdullahi, said his fare from Kabuga to his school in Tarauni remained N500.

A civil servant, Bala Umar, who lives in Gwammaja, said he still paid N600 daily to travel to his office at the Audu Bako Secretariat.

Another resident, Isma’il Mustapha, said he had yet to notice any reduction in transport fares.

Although petrol was available at the stations visited, operators said its cost continued to put pressure on their businesses and limited the possibility of reducing fares.

Jigawa commuters pay high fares

In Jigawa State, petrol sold for N1,405 per litre at NNPC stations in Dutse, Gumel and Hadejia.

Attendants said they had yet to receive a directive to implement a discount.

An attendant at an NNPC station in Dutse, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We sell at N1,405. There is no discount here. We have not received any circular to reduce the price.”

A market woman, Zuwaira Ibrahim, said her fare from Shuwarin to Dutse New Central Market had risen from N500 to N700. She added that the fare from Dutse to Hadejia had increased from N3,000 to N4,000.

A student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aisha Sani, also complained about higher short-distance fares.

“Keke now collects N300 for a short distance that was N200. Where is the discount?” she asked.

A commercial driver on the Dutse–Kano route, Magaji Garba, said operators could not reduce fares while petrol prices remained high.

A tricycle rider, Ibrahim Danladi, said his daily earnings had fallen from N8,000 before October 1 to about N4,000.

Rising transport costs burden Niger residents

In Minna, Niger State, petrol prices at the NNPC mega station around City Gate fluctuated between N1,450 and N1,505 per litre.

Mustapha Abdullahi, a motorist who travels to Abuja from Abdulsalami Garage in Minna, said interstate transport fares had risen considerably.

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He said a journey to Abuja that cost N3,500 last year had increased to N7,000 in March and now costs N11,000.

Abdullahi also attributed the high cost of travel to the condition of the Minna–Abuja highway, saying it damaged vehicles and added to operators’ expenses.

A tricycle operator, Sadiq Ndanusa, who operates between Kpakungu and Mekunkele in Minna, said journeys that previously cost between N300 and N600 had become difficult to undertake for less than N800.

He said fuel costs and frequent vehicle repairs had affected his earnings and left him considering abandoning the business.

Plateau: Commuters yet to see lower fares

In Jos, Plateau State, petrol sold for N1,410 per litre at NNPC stations visited by Sunday PUNCH. Motorists and commuters said the discount had not resulted in lower fares on their regular routes.

A motorist, James Pam, said he had been buying petrol at NNPC stations without receiving a discount.

A market woman, Saratu Musa, who travels daily from Terminus to Farin Gada, said she now paid between N400 and N500, depending on the driver, compared with N300 previously.

A bus driver on the Terminus–Bukuru route, Sani Abdullahi, said the increase in the NNPC pump price from N1,370 to N1,410 per litre had further squeezed his earnings.

“How can I reduce fares? Fuel is N1,410 today at NNPC. Last week it was N1,370. After buying fuel and giving money to the owner of the bus, what will remain?” he asked.

A tricycle operator, Emeka Okoro, said his daily profit had fallen from N6,000 to N3,000. He added that he sometimes bought fuel from informal sellers at N1,500 per litre when demand was high.

Kogi: High fares restrict commuters’ movement

In Kogi State, petrol sold for N1,410 per litre at the NNPC station in Felele, along the Lokoja–Abuja Expressway.

A motorist, Mike Abu, said he had not experienced a change in petrol prices at NNPC stations or other outlets, including MRS stations.

He said he now drove to the office, parked his car and used commercial motorcycles when he needed to travel for official assignments.

Another resident, Samson Eleijoh, said the high cost of transportation had limited his movement.

He said he had not visited his parents in four months because of the cost of travelling from Ganaja village to Felele.

Kaduna: App users pay less at selected outlets

In Kaduna State, motorists reported paying N1,379 per litre at some NNPC retail outlets, while customers who used the company’s mobile application and paid digitally paid N1,339, a difference of N40 per litre.

Motorists said the prices continued to put pressure on their finances.

Ezekiel Akpan expressed concern that the discount had yet to provide the level of relief many consumers expected, while Shuaibu Usman said high fuel prices continued to affect his daily expenses.

James Daniel said the challenge went beyond announcing a temporary discount, stressing the need for a reduction that would ease the financial burden on vehicle owners.

The station manager at an NNPC retail outlet in Unguwan Sarki, Yusuf Usman, said the discount did not establish a uniform pump price nationwide.

Sokoto, Kebbi motorists fault access conditions

Motorists in Sokoto and Kebbi states said petrol continued to sell for N1,430 per litre at the NNPC stations visited.

Some motorists criticised the arrangement, arguing that a relief measure intended to ease hardship should be accessible to more consumers.

They called on the Federal Government and the NNPC to review the implementation and ensure that the initiative benefited ordinary Nigerians, particularly commercial drivers and others whose livelihoods depended on transportation.

Osun transport union members benefit from discount

In Osun State, the state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Kazeem Oyewale, said commercial drivers had benefited from the fuel discount initiative.

“Yes, our members benefited from the discount,” he told Sunday PUNCH in a telephone interview.

However, Oyewale said he could not confirm whether the scheme had been discontinued or whether petrol prices had changed.

App users pay less in Borno

In Borno State, petrol sold for N1,470 per litre at NNPC stations for customers who did not use the company’s application, while those who used the app reportedly paid N1,350.

A motorist, Francis Chubiyo, confirmed the price difference.

“Yes, when you buy with the app, you get it at N1,350, but when you buy directly, it is N1,470 at NNPC stations,” he said.

Despite the reduction available to app users, residents said transport fares had not fallen.

A trader, Maryam Nda, said fares on her regular routes remained unchanged.

“It is still the same. Where I go with N200 and N300 has not changed. Thank God for the availability of electric taxis that give cheaper options. But as for commercial tricycles, nothing has changed,” she said.

A tricycle operator, Ibrahim Gana, said not all operators bought fuel from NNPC stations, while some did not know how to use the application.

“Not all of us buy fuel from NNPC. I just buy wherever is close to my location. What is the essence of going to NNPC stations when the price difference is not much?” he asked.

Gana said buying petrol at N1,470 per litre at NNPC stations was not significantly different from paying N1,500 at other outlets.

NNPC explains price differences

The NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, said petrol prices would not be uniform nationwide because of differences in location, transportation and logistics costs.

“The NNPC has already said that there won’t be a uniform petrol price across the nation. It won’t be like the price will be the same everywhere,” he said.

Odeh explained that not all NNPC retail outlets participated in the discount scheme, advising customers to use the mobile application to identify participating stations.

“Some NNPC retail outlets may also not be in the scheme. If you download the app, you will see and know which NNPC retail outlet is in the scheme,” he added.

He said customers had to download and register on the application to qualify for the N66-per-litre reduction. The platform, he added, enabled the company to track the number of beneficiaries and calculate the total value of the discounts granted.