The dynamics of a Christmas fuel scarcity

Picture this. 

People spending the night in their cars; the usually busy Lagos roads—empty. One car passes through every two and a half minutes—a far cry from the usual flux of vehicles zooming past every second. 

But, there is one building that has a continuous activity; cars are in their hundreds, lined up but barely moving, all struggling to get in. There is even a crowd at the entrance. It’s the most popular place in the area. No, I'm not talking about a concert venue. It’s a Nigerian petrol station on a typical December afternoon. 

Like clockwork, Nigerians expect to be “gifted” a fuel scarcity during Christmas season. They can occur on any month, but for many years it has always happened during Christmas. 

People spend their holidays hustling for fuel at filling stations. And we even share memes of our willingness to receive petrol as a Christmas gift.

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