Motorcyclists in Cameroon protest Nigeria’s removal of petrol subsidy

Motorcyclists in Cameroon have reportedly protested the removal of the petrol subsidy in Nigeria.

In his inaugural speech, President Bola Tinubu said the petrol subsidy regime was over.

“On fuel subsidy, unfortunately, the budget before I assumed office is that no provision is there for fuel subsidy. So, fuel subsidy is gone,” the president had said.

Following Tinubu’s pronouncement, huge queues resurfaced at filling stations in some parts of Nigeria — a situation the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) blamed on panic buying.

Newsmen observed that the retail price of petrol rose to high levels across the country, reaching a high of N540 per litre in some filling stations since Tinubu’s announcement.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited also announced the adjustment of the pump price across its retail outlets nationwide to accommodate market realities.

In other neighbouring countries, the post-subsidy realities have also set in.

Petrol from Nigeria is alleged to be regularly smuggled into nearby countries including Cameroon, Ghana, Benin Republic, and as far as Sudan.

In Benin Republic, newsmen reported how the product is being sold for 700 CFA or 800 CFA — up from a previous price of 450 CFA.

Eons Intelligence, a Twitter account that publishes security reports, said commercial motorcyclists in Cameroon were protesting the effects of the subsidy removal in their country.

The account tweeted the video on Wednesday.

Newsmen could not immediately verify the contents of the video.