By Sodeinde Temidayo David
Nigerians had to cough out 3.5 per cent more than the price they purchased Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) also known as diesel in June 2021 for the product in July 2021, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said.
Last month, according to the data released by the stats office, a litre of diesel cost N250.82 on average compared with N242.43 in June 2021.
In its Diesel Price Watch Report, the NBS said the price of the product was 11.8 per cent year-on-year higher than N224.43 in July 2020.
Breaking down the data, it was stated that the highest cost for diesel was in Borno at N290.3 per litre, 13.7 per cent higher than N255.43 per litre it was sold in June.
In addition, filling stations in Adamawa sold diesel for N275.00/litre compared to N256.00/litre in the previous month, showing a rise of 7.4 per cent.
In Abia State, the product was sold for N274.25/litre in contrast to N238.46/litre it was sold in the preceding month, indicating a rise by 15 per cent.
However, states with the lowest average price for diesel were Plateau at N230.00 per litre; Anambra at N233.67 for a litre; and Kogi at N234.17 a litre.
Looking at the average prices of diesel across the six geo-political zones of the country, the North East and the North Central, which has seen spates of farmers-herders conflicts, banditry and kidnappings, recorded the highest rate at N261.90 and N252.29 respectively.
They were followed by the South East with N250.38, South West at N248.68, South-South at N247.27, and North West at N245.05.
In Lagos, the average price of diesel stood at N245 per litre, 2.8 per cent higher than N238.25 per litre in June 2021, while in Abuja, the price was N251/litre as against N246/litre in the preceding month, implying a 2.0 per cent increase.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya