Petrol is cheaper in Nigeria than US and many African countries - Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken LokpobiriThe Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has said the average price of petrol in Nigeria remains lower than in the United States and several African countries despite the removal of fuel subsidy.Lokpobiri made the claim on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, September 22, while defending the Federal Government’s deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector amid concerns over rising fuel prices. According to the minister, the average petrol price in Nigeria is about N1,430 per litre, compared with N1,633 in the United States, N1,959 in Cameroon and N2,070 in both Ghana and South Africa.“In the US, the average, you know, liter of fuel is N1,633. In Nigeria, it’s on the average of N1,430. If you go to Cameroon, it’s N1,959. If you go to Ghana, it’s N2,070. If you go to South Africa, it’s N2,070,” Lokpobiri said. His comments came as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other marketers reduced depot prices following a decline in international crude oil prices.Lokpobiri argued that Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country and the presence of the Dangote Refinery do not automatically guarantee cheaper petrol. He pointed to the United States, which he described as the world’s largest oil and gas producer with extensive refining capacity, arguing that petrol prices there could still be higher than in Nigeria.The minister said the prices of crude oil and refined petroleum products are influenced by international markets and maintained that Nigeria cannot operate independently of global energy prices. “Oil and gas is a global commodity. What is sold in New York is what is also sold here,” he said, adding that the impact of high energy costs was also being felt by consumers in the United States and Europe.