Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, is grappling with acute fuel scarcity, with only a few filling stations supplying petrol to motorists, according to a survey conducted on Saturday. This scarcity has led to the resurgence of long queues of vehicles across the state capital.
The situation is compounded by exorbitant and arbitrary fuel pump prices set by the limited number of filling stations. Prices range from N625 to N650 per liter for major marketers and between N750 to N1,000 for other marketers, depending on the location. Reports indicate that customers outside the state capital are facing even higher prices, surpassing N1,000 per liter.
In response to the fuel price surge, commercial transporters have increased transport fares, with short distances now costing N200 and above, compared to the previous range of N100 to N150 in the state capital.
Efforts to contact officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Ilorin have been unsuccessful as of the time of this report. Meanwhile, a manager of one of the stations attributed the shortage to a lack of supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), the sole importer of the product, expressing anticipation for the commencement of petrol distribution by the Dangote Refinery.
