OWN CORRESPONDENT, Lagos | Tuesday 1.45pm.
FUEL shortages struck Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos on Tuesday, paralysing business and social activities. Officials have responded by calling the scarcities artificial.
Officials blamed the shortages on panic buying resulting from a rumour that oil unions will join a public sector strike in Nigeria.
Many workers were stranded at bus stops, while fares more than doubled on several routes. The cost of a trip from Yaba in mainland Lagos to Victoria Island in central Lagos, which normally costs 40 naira, had risen to 100 naira (R6,00).
Long queues of motorists started to build up at filling stations on Monday in most parts of the city, 10 days after the World Youths Championship which took place in eight centres in this oil-rich west African country.
Along the Lagos-Abeokuta road, where about 18 filling stations are located, only three had fuel on Monday, while files of waiting vehicles worsened the heavy traffic congestion.
Officials of the state-run oil giant, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, said the scarcity was due to panic buying by motorists after a press report that the main oil sector union, Nupeng, will join a public sector strike taking place for pay raises.
“The present scarcity is artificial because we have enough stock to meet demand,” one official, who did not want to be named, said.