LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s outgoing government has agreed to pay a debt of $800 million to resolve a months-long fuel crisis crippling the economy days before the inauguration of a new president in the country, oil suppliers said Wednesday.

Chaos reigned Tuesday at Nigerian airports where most flights were canceled. Foreign airlines flew to other African countries to refuel. Cars and other vehicles formed queues two and three deep blocking roads for more than a mile outside of gas stations. Attendants turned away people carrying yellow cans to buy kerosene for cooking. There was none.

Banks started closing at lunchtime on Monday and cellphone companies warned they would be forced to shut down service countrywide for lack of diesel to fuel generators.

Nigeria – Africa’s biggest oil producer– generates more than 2 million barrels of petroleum a day but imports the refined product because its refineries are not maintained.


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