Petrol Prices in Jos: NNPC Stations Charge ₦1,420, Others ₦1,492

Motorists in Jos, Plateau State, are paying between ₦1,420 and ₦1,492 per litre for petrol. This comes from a survey that shows the impact of government efforts to ease rising fuel prices.

On Wednesday, 14 October, checks at filling stations in Jos revealed that NNPC stations sold petrol at ₦1,420 per litre. Other stations offered petrol at prices ranging from ₦1,472 to ₦1,492 per litre.

These findings follow the federal government's announcement of a temporary measure. Under this plan, NNPC Retail will sell petrol without making a profit for an initial period of 30 days.

Taiwo Oyedele, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, shared this information on 8 October during a briefing in Abuja about rising fuel prices and the government's strategies.

The government later confirmed this arrangement in an official statement. NNPC Retail will sell petrol at cost for 30 days, focusing on public transport operators first.

This measure aims to help households and businesses feeling the pinch of rising fuel prices. During the same briefing, Mr Oyedele mentioned that the government is looking to set a ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on petrol's landing cost. This would help manage the effects of changing international oil prices and exchange rates on petrol costs.

It's important to understand this when looking at petrol prices in Plateau. NNPC outlets sold petrol at ₦1,420 per litre, while other stations charged more. Motorists paid an extra ₦52 to ₦72 per litre at other filling stations.

Some motorists told this newspaper that they prefer to buy from other outlets. They worry about the accuracy of the dispensing pumps at NNPC stations. There are concerns that some pumps do not give the correct amount of petrol indicated on their meters.

These claims could not be independently verified when this report was filed. Testing by relevant authorities would be needed to confirm whether the pumps are accurate.

The price differences also affect motorists and commercial transport operators who rely on petrol. For instance, a motorist buying 40 litres at ₦1,492 per litre would spend ₦59,680. In contrast, at ₦1,420 per litre, the same amount would cost ₦56,800. This results in a difference of ₦2,880 for the same fuel quantity.

For commercial drivers who fill up often, these differences can raise costs and increase pressure on transport fares and household budgets. The situation shows how essential clear pricing and consumer protection are as the government works to ease the burden of rising fuel costs.

At the time of this report, there was no response from NNPC regarding the price differences and the issues raised about its dispensing pumps.