South-South Records Highest Petrol Prices in Nigeria as Fuel Cost Climbs

The South-South recorded the highest average petrol price in Nigeria in May 2026, making it the most expensive region to buy fuel as prices kept rising across the country.

New figures showed that motorists in the region paid an average of N1,623.84 per litre.

Edo leads petrol price table

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the South-South topped all six geopolitical zones in petrol prices during the month under review.

The report also showed that Edo recorded the highest average retail price among all states at N1,722.91 per litre.

This placed the state above Bauchi, which recorded N1,715.47 per litre, and Benue, where the average price stood at N1,698.57 per litre.

The latest figures mean that many families, transport operators, and business owners in the South-South are spending more on fuel than people in other parts of the country.

Fuel costs continue to rise

The NBS said the national average retail price of petrol increased to N1,596.25 per litre in May 2026 from N1,027.76 per litre recorded in May 2025. This represents a 55.31 per cent increase within one year.

The average price also moved up from N1,532.93 per litre in April 2026 to N1,596.25 per litre in May 2026. This means motorists paid N63.32 more for every litre within one month.

While the South-South recorded the highest zonal average, the North-West had the lowest at N1,564.11 per litre.

Adamawa recorded the cheapest average state price at N1,469.83 per litre, followed by Katsina at N1,470.63 and Sokoto at N1,489.33.

Industry players linked the rise in petrol prices to higher depot prices, supply shortages, rising transportation costs, pressure in the foreign exchange market, and the high cost of importing and distributing petroleum products.

Changes in the global oil market have also continued to affect fuel prices in Nigeria.