Petrol most expensive in North-East and South-East – NOI Polls

The latest survey results released by NOI Polls has shown that a vast majority of Nigerians (85 percent) bought Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, above the official pump price of ₦86.50; and at an average pump price of ₦176 per litre in the month of April 2016.

The poll also revealed that the North-East and South-East geopolitical regions of the country recorded the highest average prices of ₦199 and ₦194 per litre respectively. In addition, amongst the 85 percent who bought petrol above the approved pump price of ₦86.50, almost 6 in 10 (59 percent) respondents in this category bought the product between ₦150 and ₦250 per litre.

Furthermore, 50 percent of respondents bought petrol from Independent Marketer filling stations, 24 percent from Major Marketer filling stations, and 14 percent from Black marketers; leaving only 12 percent who said they bought the product from NNPC filling stations.

The poll also revealed that 73 percent of respondents use petrol to power their ‘Generators’, thus highlighting the use of petrol to meet energy demands resulting from poor power supply. Similarly, 58 percent use petrol to power ‘Cars’ and 28 percent use petrol to power ‘Tricycles and Motorcycles’ popularly known as Keke and Okada.

The poll highlights the mixed opinions expressed by Nigerians on the issue of petrol subsidy, as 48 percent say they support subsidy removal of subsidy, while 52 percent say they do not support the removal.

The months of March and April witnessed an unprecedented scarcity of petroleum products in the country, with long queues at filling stations nationwide. The situation was further worsened by the long battle between members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Federal Government over subsidy claims running into several millions of dollars, and new reports that the government was seeking to ensure that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) become the sole importer of petroleum products.