3rd January, 2012
Hundreds of Nigerians are marching in the commercial capital, Lagos,this morning to protest the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led petrol prices to double and in some remote Nigerian towns, triple.
They left from the headquarters of the main trade unions, which are to meet on Wednesday to decide on strike plans.
Among the protesters in Lagos are the popular Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana and Ganiat Fawehinmi, the wife of the late Lagos lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, both the BBC and P.M.News reporters said..
The BBC reported that about two dozen people have been arrested in the main northern city of Kano as they gathered to protest.
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, but imports refined petrol.
Years of mismanagement and corruption mean it does not have the capacity to refine oil, turning it into petrol and other fuels.
Analysts say many Nigerians regard cheap fuel as the only benefit they get from the nation’s oil wealth.
Several previous governments have tried to remove the subsidy but have backed down in the face of widespread public protests and reduced it instead.
The IMF has long urged Nigeria’s government to remove the subsidy, which costs a reported $8bn (£5.2bn) a year.
The BBC’s Tomi Oladipo in Lagos says that as the marchers pass petrol stations, they shout insults and try to persuade them to close.
They have also disrupted traffic on a major highway and started fires.
He says that it is not yet clear where the marchers are heading.
The city is not as busy as it normally is, with many people stranded as they cannot afford the new transport fares after going away for the holidays, our reporter says.
Police in the capital, Abuja have blockaded Eagle Square, where protesters had planned to gather for a protest.
Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Abuja on Monday
On Monday, police fired tear gas to disperse some 200 people who had gathered in the capital, chanting “Remove corruption, not subsidy.”
Prices have increased from 65 naira ($0.40; £0.26) per litre to at least 140 naira in filling stations and from 100 naira to at least 200 on the black market, where many Nigerians buy their fuel.
There are reports that petrol prices have tripled in some remote areas, while commuters have complained that motorcycle and minibus taxi fares have already doubled or tripled.
Previous price in petrol stations: $0.40/ litre
New price in petrol stations: $0.86
Previous black market price: $0.62
New black market price: $1.23
Annual cost to government of subsidy: $8bn
Tuesday is the first working day since the measures were announced on 1 January.