News
Nigeria’s Petrol Landing Cost Drops to N971 per Liter Despite High Pump Prices
In November 2024, the cost to import a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) into Nigeria decreased to N971, according to data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association.
This marks a 20.23 per cent decline from August’s figure of N1,219 per litre.
The shift in landing cost is largely influenced by changes in the Naira to Dollar exchange rate and the fluctuating global price of crude oil.
By the end of last week, the Naira was trading at N1,678.87 to the Dollar, while the price of Brent crude closed at $73.63 per barrel.
For comparison, crude had been at $80.72 per barrel in August when the exchange rate was N1,611 per Dollar.
These shifts directly affect the cost Nigeria incurs to import fuel, as international currency and crude prices heavily dictate these expenses.
However, despite the drop in landing costs, pump prices in Nigeria have remained high.
Fuel at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) outlets and many other filling stations currently sells between N1,060 and N1,200 per litre.
This high retail price reflects additional logistics, distribution, and profit margin costs, along with the impacts of currency devaluation, keeping fuel relatively expensive for consumers.
Just months earlier, in August, Nigerians were paying N617 per litre, highlighting how much the situation has changed in just a few months.
The country’s largest private refinery, the Dangote Refinery, which is expected to help alleviate some of the nation’s dependency on imported petroleum products, recently set its ex-depot prices between N960 and N990 per litre for ships and trucks, respectively.
While promising to reduce import reliance in the long term, the Dangote Refinery’s price points illustrate the ongoing high costs involved in local production due to currency fluctuations and global oil market prices.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which has been vocal about the economic pressure on Nigerian households, released a statement on Sunday.
The NLC emphasized that local petrol prices have become disconnected from actual market value, placing undue financial strain on Nigerians.
News
“You Can Still Have Subsidy Without Long Queues” — Rufai Oseni Speaks On Subsidy
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
News
Sanwo-Olu Speaks on Lagos’ Power Challenges and the Need for Change
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
News
Sanwo-Olu Declares August 20 Public Holiday in Lagos for Isese Festival
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
