Petrol scarcity lingers in Abuja, queues resurface in states

Product sells for N1,500/litre at black market, transporters hike price

Unless there is urgent intervention, scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which has lingered in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), may ground movement in the nation’s commercial city, Lagos, as queues are building across states in the country.

Motorists in Abuja spent the best of their productive hours, yesterday, on queues, as some arrived at fuel stations as early as 5.00 a.m. to queue for fuel.

This was coming as marketers admitted to supply shortages from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) amid allegations of over $6 billion indebtedness to PMS traders, as the gap between the pump price of the product and the actual price being bridged by the government widens.

In the capital city, most fuel stations, especially those belonging to the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), were shut down while the few dispensing around Gudu, Airport Road, Kubwa expressway and the major city had long queues.

In Lagos, The Guardian gathered that various parts of the city had a growing number of private and commercial drivers lined up for hours with uncertainty over supply, as some stations run out of fuel intermittently.

Across the cities, black marketers were already trading a litre for N1,500 amid hike already being experienced in the cost of transportation.

A motorist, Kunle Fatoki, who reportedly spent six hours at the NIPCO filling station along Kubwa Expressway, expressed anger over the recurring fuel shortages in the country, stressing that he spent the bulk of his productive time sourcing for PMS.

“It is terrible. Most of the fuel stations in Kubwa are locked and the one that is opened, the queue is something else, and they are selling for N800 per litre at some stations,” Fatoki said.

National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, told The Guardian that the queues at retail stations were due to price discrepancies between the NNPCL and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).

He noted that when independent marketers’ stations run out of fuel, queues inevitably form.

Maigandi emphasised that independent petroleum marketers usually purchase their products from NNPC at an approved rate.

However, due to low supply volumes, they turn to DAPPMAN members, who sell to them at N715, which is even higher in some cities.

“There is availability of the product, most members of DAPPMAN have products inside their depot, but the only challenge is cost. We are appealing to NNPC to increase our volume as we control 85 per cent retail outlet in the country,” he said.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, attributed the ongoing fuel shortage across the country to weather-related supply chain disruptions. These disruptions have impacted the availability and distribution of fuel, resulting in long queues at petrol stations and increased activity among black marketers.

He warned Nigerians to avoid panic buying, assuring that “there is enough fuel in the tanks. The main challenge lies in getting the fuel to the stations.”

Energy expert, Kelvin Emmanuel, urged the government to consider one of the four recommendations from the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), which advocated a shift from exporting crude oil to domestic refining.