Nigerians Mobilize for Deregulation
Nigerians have started an online petition to force government to deregulate the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. The petition is backed by social media campaign tagged #NODcampaign which leads people to an e-signature page on tinyurl.com/psu3ffa.
The move is coming on the heels of the painful petroleum products scarcity episode which analysts believe was a side effect of the regulation of the petroleum downstream sector. A few weeks ago, there was widespread products scarcity on a scale never experienced before. Banks, telecommunications companies and vital services were at risks of being shutdown and daily commute was a nightmare. Commuters were forced to resort to patronizing ‘black market’ dealers of petroleum products at prices as high as N350 per litre in some places, and at the risk of exposing their car engines to harmful fuel.
The #NODcampaign is suggestive of the idea that a majority of Nigerians are nodding in agreement with the initially controversial issue of the deregulation of the petroleum downstream sector. The current government has not given an official position on the issue, but the financial realities and the recent show of force by petroleum products marketers could limit its options on the matter.
If the campaign succeeds, it will give popular support to a vital policy initiate that brings an end to the inefficiency and hardships experienced by Nigerians as a result of the government regulation of the downstream subsector of the petroleum industry.
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