Petrol sold at the highest rates in Edo, Bauchi and Benue states in May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said.
The bureau said this in its “Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch” report for May 2026, released on Wednesday.
The NBS said the average retail price paid by consumers for petrol in May 2026 was ₦1,596.25, representing a 55.31 per cent increase from May 2025 (₦1,027.76).
Likewise, it said comparing the average price value with that of the previous month (i.e., April 2026), the average retail price increased by 4.13 per cent from ₦1,532.93.
In state profile analysis, the NBS said Edo state had the highest average retail price for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol), at ₦1,722.91. Bauchi and Benue States were next, with ₦1,715.47 and ₦1,698.57, respectively.
Conversely, it said Adamawa, Katsina and Sokoto states had the lowest average retail prices for petrol at ₦1,469.83, ₦1,470.63, and ₦1,489.33, respectively.
On the zonal profile, the statistics office said the South-South zone had the highest average retail price of ₦1,623.84, while the North-West Zone had the lowest price of ₦1,564.11.
Diesel
In its Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) Price Watch report for May 2026, the NBS said the average retail price of diesel paid by consumers increased by 86.40 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
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The bureau said the price rose from ₦1758.26 per litre in the corresponding month of last year (i.e., May 2025) to ₦3277.47 per litre in May 2026.
On a month-on-month basis, the NBS reported a 32.44 per cent increase, from ₦2474.69 in April 2026 to an average of ₦3277.47 in May 2026.
According to the bureau, the top three states with the highest average price of the product in May 2026 include Nasarawa State (₦3785.84), Plateau State (₦3576.40), and Ebonyi State (₦3574.75).
It said the top three lowest prices were recorded in the following states, namely, Kogi State (₦2823.85), Benue State (₦2961.33), and Kebbi State (₦3016.14).
“The zonal representation of the average price of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) shows that the North-West Zone has the highest price of ₦3313.60, while the South-West Zone has the lowest price of ₦3227.55 compared to other zones,” it said.
