Kaduna State residents have turned to petrol stations to seek for cash in order to satisfy their basic pressing needs amid naira scarcity.
This was according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria.
The naira scarcity worsened as some citizens were unable to access cash in Automated Teller Machines as well as from Point of Sale operators.
According to NAN, people in search of cash visited petrol stations to make agreements with fuel buyers who are willing to buy fuel with cash.
Rather than paying with cash to the fueling station to purchase fuel, those in need of cash would receive the cash and pay on their behalf using electronic transfer.
The strategy was said to have relieved a lot of people who are under the hardship caused by the naira scarcity.
An interview was carried out by NAN in some filling stations where residents believes the strategy has brought huge relief.
A resident, Adamu Saleh, said “I got wind of this arrangement today and went to a petrol station dispensing fuel, talked to a commercial bus driver, and he agreed to help me.
“We agreed that I should pay N7,000, through the station’s PoS, being the cost of his fuel, which I did.
“When it was his turn to be dispensed of the fuel, I presented the N7,000 slip, and collected the cash from him in return; it was a birelief to me as I had no cash on me.
“The major challenge is that it is not everything that can be purchased through electronic transfer of money; there are some needs that can only be satisfied using liquid cash.”
According to NAN, the resident commended commercial vehicle operators for not using the strategy as an opportunity to exploit people.
Another interviewee who is also a resident, Mrs Aisha Fika, said she had to approach three different people at a petrol station before she could get the liquid cash.
According to her, “I accosted two people who told me they had already been ‘booked’ by others, but a third person obliged.”
Another resident, Aminu Lawan, said the problem with the strategy is network challenge and it wastes time because they have to wait for the queue to get to the fuel buyer.
In his words, “Sometimes, the network can disappoint, or the person to help you is far behind in the petrol queue; except you are patient you may end up getting frustrated.”
