Problems at the pump

HOW does a big oil producer end up with no fuel? The irony of that predicament is not lost on citizens of the country with sub-Saharan Africa’s largest oil reserves. They endure hours-long queues at petrol stations and buy on the black market. Yet few recall a scarcity as severe as the one that peaked this month.

Drivers turned to greasy hawkers who demanded up to six times the official price for their cans of contraband. Traffic petered out in Lagos, a clamouring city of some 20m people. Local airlines cancelled flights and international carriers began diverting through other West African capitals for fuel. Since diesel and petrol are also needed to generate electricity (mainly using backyard generators, since government networks are pitiful), darkness descended on homes. Shops and offices closed and radio stations went off the air. Banks shut early, and mobile-phone companies warned of network outages. Africa’s largest economy ground almost to a halt.