The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has summoned top officials in the petroleum sector, including Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd., and Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, News About Nigeria reports.
The meeting, held at the presidential villa in Abuja, included Ugbogu Ukoha, executive director of NMDPRA, and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser.
The meeting follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to Shettima to address the recent surge in petrol prices.
Prior to the meeting, NNPC had increased the price of petrol, selling it at N855 per litre at some stations in Lagos and over N900 per litre in some states.
After the meeting, Lokpobiri told State House correspondents that President Tinubu is concerned about the hardship caused by the price increase and scarcity of petrol.
The Minister stated that Shettima convened the meeting to discuss the situation with key stakeholders.
“He (Tinubu) is concerned about the hardship of Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call this meeting for us to reflect on what is going on in the country,” the minister said.
“What is important is that products are available in the country, and we believe that between now and the weekend, there will be availability of products across the length and breadth of the country.
“The price could be high in some other areas, higher in some other locations, and in some locations, much more than others.
“But we believe that by the time there is availability of products across the country, the price itself is stabilised.
“But what is important is that the government is not fixing prices. This sector is deregulated. And we believe that with the availability of products, the price will find its level. And this is important for Nigeria to know.”
