Fuel and cash shortages cause furor over elections

Muhammed Bazza has been queuing for buy gasoline under the scorching sun for four hours, while Alexander Okwori he has spent the last two waiting at an ATM.

Bazza said he had woken up at 4:30 a.m. to try to avoid the gas lines, but it didn’t work: Shortly after 10 a.m., when he was only 30 feet (10 meters) from the gas pump, he was told go away

Frustrations grow as vote nears

These days, Awolowo Road, one of the main commercial arteries in Lagos, Nigeria’s megacity of 20 million, is constantly blocked by traffic jams made worse by waiting for fuel.

From north to south, the country of some 215 million people is facing a complex mix of problems: gasoline shortages and bank chaos over a new currency swap, plus chronic lack of water and electricity.

It’s a volatile mix as Nigeria prepares for presidential and general elections next month, with President Muhammadu Buhari resigning after the two terms allowed by the constitution.

While Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest producers of crude oil, its outdated refineries have little refining capacity, so it must import fuel from Europe and elsewhere, so fuel tails are common.

Across the street, about 50 people are crowded in front of a bank, with more and more people joining the crowd.

Like everyone else, Alexander Okwori is trying to get hold of some of the new notes introduced last October to replace the old naira, the deadline to redeem was January 31.

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