Petrol is selling for as much as ₦1,500 per litre in several Nigerian states, intensifying pressure on motorists and households as the Nigeria Labour Congress called on the Federal Government to introduce measures to cushion workers from the latest price surge.

Checks published on Thursday showed prices reaching about ₦1,500 per litre in Kano, Yobe, Sokoto, Borno, Taraba and Zamfara, although pump prices varied between stations and locations.

In Yobe, petrol was reported at between ₦1,500 and ₦1,520 per litre at some stations in Damaturu, while prices in Kano ranged between about ₦1,460 and ₦1,500.

Sokoto recorded prices between roughly ₦1,465 and ₦1,500, while motorists in Maiduguri, Borno State, were reported to be buying petrol at around ₦1,500 per litre.

In Taraba, some motorists reported prices ranging between ₦1,500 and ₦1,700 per litre, while filling stations in Gusau, Zamfara State, sold the product for between about ₦1,450 and ₦1,500.

Prices were also reported above ₦1,400 per litre in several other states.

In Kaduna, some stations sold petrol for as much as ₦1,450, while prices in Makurdi, Benue State, ranged from about ₦1,430 to ₦1,470.

Petrol was sold for between ₦1,450 and ₦1,470 in parts of Jos, Plateau State, and around ₦1,460 to ₦1,470 in Bauchi.

In Lagos, Dangote-backed MRS stations were reported to have moved to about ₦1,395 per litre, while Mobil sold at around ₦1,385. NNPC retail outlets in parts of Ogun State were reported at about ₦1,380 per litre.

The rising prices prompted the Nigeria Labour Congress, led by Joe Ajaero, to call for what it described as reasonable wage awards for workers.

In a statement titled Save the Situation Now, the labour centre said petrol was selling for around ₦1,430 per litre in major urban centres, with higher prices in less accessible locations. The NLC warned that increases in transport costs could feed into food prices and other household expenses.

The union asked the Federal Government to ensure sufficient crude oil is supplied to domestic refineries in naira and to expand Nigeria’s petroleum storage capacity as protection against disruptions in international energy markets.

It argued that Nigeria’s position as an oil producer should give the country more room to shield consumers from sudden global oil-price shocks.

The increase comes days after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery raised its petrol gantry price from ₦1,265 to ₦1,350 per litre, effective September 12. The adjustment represented the refinery’s fourth increase since August 21, when the gantry price stood at ₦1,165.

Petroleum marketers have linked the pressure on domestic prices partly to rising international crude costs.

Chinedu Ukadike, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said higher crude prices would continue to affect petroleum-product costs unless measures were taken to reduce the impact on the domestic market.

He suggested increased crude supply to Nigerian refineries and measures to reduce some costs associated with distribution.

Verita Post reported on Wednesday that Bonny Light had climbed to $126.32 per barrel, raising concerns that Nigerian consumers could face additional pump-price pressure if elevated crude prices persisted.

That earlier report noted that petrol was already selling between roughly ₦1,400 and ₦1,500 in parts of the country following recent refinery and retail adjustments.

The latest state-by-state checks indicate that prices around the ₦1,500 mark have now become more widespread in several northern states, while other parts of the country continue to record significant variations between marketers and locations.

Because Nigeria operates a deregulated downstream petroleum market, there is no single uniform nationwide pump price, and retail prices can differ according to supplier, location, logistics and other market costs.