Nigeria is the 10th oil-producing country in the world and the 2nd in Africa, yet the country is faced with the problem of fuel scarcity.
The history of fuel scarcity began during the first military regime of General Yakubu Gowon who increased the fuel price from 6kobo to 8.45 kobo per liter, until 1975 when general Murtala Muhammad assumed power and increased the price to 9kobo per liter.
It has been a Nigerian culture since then for every head of state to increase the fuel price until late President Umaru Musa yar’adua reduced the fuel price from #75 to #65 per liter.
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The fuel price keeps increasing till the tenure of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan which was sold out at #87 and currently #165 in Buhari’s administration.
The crisis to fuel scarcity presently in Nigeria is due to the attempt the government is making to remove fuel subsidies.
Subsidy is usually aimed at reducing the cost of a product by the government, it is when a percentage of a product is paid by the government to lessen the burden of consumers.
In recent times, fuel scarcity started as early November 2021 when the minister of finance, budget, and National planning Hajiya Zainab Ahmed announced that Nigeria will remove the fuel subsidy and replace it with a transportation grant for the Nigerians. Since then, fuel retailers started hoarding fuel and refused to sell at normal prices despite the suspension of the plan by the federal government.
Fuel scarcity has been a problem in Nigeria since time immemorial and this has led to an increased cost of living which affects the Nigerian economy.
Could it be that the issue of fuel scarcity is a result of the lack of resources in mining the fuel or as a result of a lack of political will? Many questions but the true question should be what is the way forward?
Nigeria as a country with many potentials should adopt refining its crude oil which will reduce the cost they spent on importation.
Nigeria should also create a competitive market by liberalizing the market and encouraging the private sector.
Furthermore, the Department of petroleum resources (DPR) should investigate and arrest marketers both major and minor who fail to follow the laws which will lead to reducing corruption and illegal black market operators. If corruption is a disease, transparency is its solution (Kofi Annan).
Without petrol, the world would almost grind to a halt; because petrol is so important that the whole world is affected by what happens to this vital commodity. (Rasheed, 2010).
Hadiza Musa Yusuf a multimedia journalist writes from Kano
