Hundreds of tricycle operators took to the streets of Kano on Tuesday, staging a protest against the recent hike in petroleum prices across the state. The protest follows a sharp increase in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, which has soared to as much as ₦1,200 per liter at some filling stations. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has adjusted its pump price to ₦904 per liter in Kano.
The protest, which centered around the Dangi Bridge, brought traffic in the area to a standstill for several hours as tricycle operators voiced their frustration over the escalating costs.
One of the protesters, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, recounted, “I remember when I used to buy petrol for ₦95. During the late President Shehu Musa Yar’adua’s regime, we once went to buy fuel, and they stopped the process. We thought the price would increase, but it was adjusted down to ₦65. That’s something I’ll never forget. In Nigeria, when prices go up, they never come down. It’s been like that ever since. Where are we heading in this country? How do we survive now? Unfortunately, this is the reality we’re facing.”
The protest left many residents stranded as most tricycle operators abandoned their routes to join the demonstrations or waited in long queues at petrol stations. Passengers who managed to find transportation, like Ramatu Aminu, expressed their frustration over the rising costs.
“I usually pay between ₦150 and ₦200 to travel from Gyadi-Gyadi to Hotoro Junction, but today I was charged ₦300,” Aminu said. “The tricycle operator blamed the increase on the petrol price hike. Many passengers were left stranded on the roads with no tricycles available.”
The situation is similarly dire in Jigawa State, where petrol prices have spiked to as much as ₦1,350 per liter in the state capital, Dutse. A motorist in Dutse, Aliyu Katsina, shared his experience: “I bought fuel for ₦1,150 this morning, but my colleague who went to the same filling station in the afternoon told me he paid ₦1,350. That’s a ₦300 increase in just a few hours. It’s really unfortunate.”
