Author: The Nation

  • We lost N87b to realignment of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, says South Energx

    We lost N87b to realignment of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, says South Energx

    South Energyx Nigeria Limited, owners of the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, is bemoaning the loss of about N87 billion, an estimated cost of the reclamation/sand filling it did to the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.

    The Assistant Public Relations Officer of South Energyx, Mr Larry Akanbi, in an interview with The Nation,  noted what he called  two issues at stake – the land they reclaimed that the coastal road will now pass through, and the rift between them and the owners of Landmark Beach.

    He  lamented the wrong narrative where the public is meant to believe that Eko Atlantic City further reclamation would eventually turn their beach to dry ground, thus dressing them in the cloak of aggressors in the eyes of the public.

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    Akanbi said: “To put the records straight,   we are the victims here and not the aggressors, as we are made to look like.

    “The Federal Government, shifted the right of way (ROW) of the coastal road, bending it into the land reclaimed by  us legally to save some valuable structures at the Landmark Centre.”

    Akanbi said  the Water Corporation Road was  the original alignment government planned to use but they later realised that  if they start from that end, by the time they get to where Queens Event Centre is, the  demolition would be more massive than what we have.

    He added: “The government in their wisdom committed themselves to less demolition. In fact, there is hardly any serious demolition right now in the sense that what has happened really is not like any of the structure of Landmark is affected; what has been consumed is the beach.

    “Our position is that, you did not even own the beach, where you are using today, as the beach is part of our land -Eko Atlantic city – and that ideally you should be paying us money but we have not asked you for any money because we were not in need of the land then.

    “Now, what the Federal Government has even done is to save some of the structures because they said if they go by their original alignment, it will consume part of the Event Centre and the Mall. What this means is that Eko Atlantic City itself will suffer loss of land because the coastal road now enters into the land of Eko Atlantic City. ‘‘

    “You know two parties are involved now, there is the federal government’s coastal road, there’s is Eko Atlantic City by the South Energyx, and because they shifted the ROW, the road now enters into our Eko Atlantic city, meaning that we are losing N87 billion for all the land that we reclaimed to sell to Developers which the  Coastal highway has encroached on”.

    “Again, another point that should be validly made to owner of Landmark Centre is that the beach he is claiming to ownership of is that by the time the Eko Atlantic City sand fills, and reclamation gets to that place, there would be no beach again. So, whether he like it or not, now or in the near future, that beach will not be there again”.

    “It is only unfortunate that now the coastal road has come quickly to consume the beach. But our original deposition was that we will be able to get to work round it and there will be a win-win situation but his public utterance has made that impossible”.

    “For example, eventually when we finish the Eko Atlantic City, even right now if you have entered it, you will see that there is still a beach inside. We will say, okay, let’s concession it, you can be using it, but we now saw that rather than him (Landmark owner)  challenging the federal government and the ministry of works, that won’t want to even compensate you for any displacement  it is  the person that has been your licencee without collecting money for the land you are using, that you are facing.

    “The ugly part of it is that the story is now being tilted against us; rather than us being the victim, we are now the aggressor. So, that is what has happened and that is the impression we don’t want the public to have, as if we are oppressing this man over the land.”

    Akanbi said, “They are painting us as the aggressor whereas we are the victim. It is our land you are on, it is our land you have been using since and that is why I told you about that google app, you can do it yourself and see how the thing moves. So, saying that you have been there since 2008, that means you have been where water was”.

    “From 2018, you can see how reclamation was being done, how the land was settled before it became what we are using. So you can’t even claim that you are the one that reclaimed the beach because it was a settlement, just like driving water away then finding yourself elsewhere. That is the same way that the water does and when the wave comes it brings sub-sand and deposits there and that is the authentication of position”.

    “He has  been enjoying the beach without paying money. He ought to be paying us ideally from the money he makes on that beach, if we wanted to insist on our right, but we are not”.

    Asked if Landmark had taken them to court, he said, “Well, as of now that I’m talking to you, we have not seen any case. You see what he says with his mouth is more potent than the court itself because an average person in Lagos will think that we are oppressing him. That is even more destructive than the court. The impression you create for the people, in fact, some people today see it that way.

    “What we are trying to do is to put our own facts out, let people know our own side of the story that we are not oppressing anybody. In fact, if anything, we are the ones that are the victims because they have been enjoying Oniru and Landmark Beach, which by law is ours . Ideally they should be paying us.”

  • LASAA woos businesses with simplified process

    LASAA woos businesses with simplified process

    Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) has introduced LASAA Amnesty Programme (LASAAMP), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at streamlining registration and payment processes for new and existing signage owners.

    Managing Director, LASAA, Prince Fatiu Akiolu said the LASAAMP initiative was designed to provide seamless registration and payment options while promoting adherence to signage regulations.

    “Our LASAAMP campaign is geared towards simplifying the payment process for all business owners, with a strong emphasis on compliance and the consequences of non-compliance with signage regulations. This initiative is especially beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises facing challenges with current payment procedures,” Akiolu said.

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    As part of the LASAAMP initiative, LASAA is introducing Quick Payment Process helplines to guide business owners through the payment  effortlessly. The helplines are: – 0908-801-93062, 0908-801-93083, 0908-801-93124, 0908-801-93145, and 0908-801-9338.

    LASAA’s Head of Strategy and Corporate Communication, Mr. Temitope Akande, explained that during the amnesty period, which is scheduled to run from May 15 to June 25, signage applications and payment renewals would be treated as amnesty registrations.

    “This presents a unique opportunity for walk-in customers and existing clients to renew their registrations and benefit from the streamlined payment process,” he noted.

    Akande further highlighted that LASAA has deployed dedicated teams across its five divisions in Lagos State – Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe – to ensure efficiency and prompt response. Each region will have Monitoring & Inspection staff overseeing registration, payment processes, and conditional approvals within 48 hours of receiving the registration request.

    Mr. Gbolahan Dixon, LASAA’s Head of Innovation and Operation, emphasized that each team will be led by a supervisor who will manage a WhatsApp-enabled line to address inquiries promptly, round-the-clock (24/7).

    LASAA remains steadfast in its commitment to creating a conducive environment for signage owners to operate within the confines of the law.

    The LASAAMP initiative underscores LASAA’s unwavering dedication to supporting businesses while ensuring compliance with signage regulations.

  • Why we’re expanding our services in Nigeria, by Vistajet

    Why we’re expanding our services in Nigeria, by Vistajet

    A private airline charter firm, Vistajet, said it is expanding its services in Nigeria to cater for the rising demand of private aviation services in Nigeria’s growing economy.

    Its President, Europe and Africa, Philippe Scalabrini, said the decision to expand their services into Nigeria came after three years of planning and development.

    Scalabrini, who spoke  at a press conference in Lagos at the weekend, said Vistajet’s extensive experience in flying across the globe, including West Africa, informed its decision to deepen the firm’s foothold in the country.

    The company’s charter service in Nigeria will cater to the growing demand for private aviation services in the region, he said, adding that the firm will be deploying three Challenger 605 aircraft in the region, offering short- and long-range flights to destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

    “We have a deep understanding of the needs of our clients in Nigeria and the region. Our charter service will provide a seamless and personalised experience, allowing clients to travel efficiently and effectively,” he said.

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    Scalabrini said, the firm’s innovative approach to private aviation involves offering flight services based on purchasing block hours, eliminating the complexities associated with aircraft ownership, such as maintenance issues and depreciation, saying that clients can customize their flight solutions, starting with a minimum block of 50 hours, ensuring flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

    “We are thrilled to bring our expertise in private aviation to Nigeria, a strategic hub in the region, our commitment to providing exceptional service and innovative solutions has enabled us to establish a strong presence in the region, and we are excited to expand our offerings to clients in Nigeria, “ Scalabrini stated.

    He said Vistajet’s charter service in Nigeria will offer a range of benefits, including access to a fleet of aircraft, including the Challenger 605, a 12-passenger configuration with a range of up to 8 hours, a dedicated team of experts to ensure a personalized experience, flexibility to customize travel arrangements to meet clients’ specific needs and competitive pricing and flexible payment options.

    “Our clients expect the highest standards of service and sustainability, and we are dedicated to meeting those expectations,” he said.

  • ‘Telecoms may suffer disruptions without sustainable investments’

    ‘Telecoms may suffer disruptions without sustainable investments’

    The era where networks will be available in one community and be absent in another is looming unless the Federal Government moves in fast and avert the dangerous descent, mobile network operators (MNOs) warned at the weekend.

    They also cautioned against price fixing which ends up stultifying investment flows into the industry and eventually leads to decrepit infrastructure, degraded service quality and network non-availability.

    Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body of the MNOs, Gbenga Adebayo, in a telephone conversation with our reporter, stressed the need for the stakeholders in the industry to own the challenges and proffer solutions instead engaging in needless blame game or passing the buck.

    Adebayo, who spoke against the backdrop of the refusal of the Federal Government to acquiesce to the demand of the MNOs for tariff hike, said tariff raise was but one out of the many demands they had tabled before the government for the sustainability of the industry.

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    “Nobody is asking for bail out, no. Bail out is not in our request, we are only saying if people do not invest, things will start going bad next year, you will start having communities like yours where there is service every time like mine, will have service only in the morning, what happens to the rest of the day, I will not tell you to call in the morning because I will not have service in the afternoon. Is that the way to go?

    “There is no service in Lekki but in Marina, there is service, I travel to Marina to get service. Or you say my office is in Victoria Island, they have service all day, so let me make my calls before I leave the office because once I get to my house, there is no service. We don’t want to get to that level and that is the risk we stand if we do not do something.

    “We need to sit down and address the problem. So while government is concerned about the public and its impact on the public, we are concerned about the sustainability of our industry and why we are so concerned is that if is something is not done, we will go the way of power industry. I don’t know if you have heard that South Africa is short of electricity now. That is what you get when people don’t invest in an industry. So they system will run out of life, they will run out of life, investors will not put in money to invest and part of the reasons for investors to invest is part of the things we have mentioned.

    “Need for more infrastructure, safety of infrastructure that we have, cost reflective tariff, and independence of the regulator. We are not saying much, some people have said some of the things that we are saying will deter investors, but you cannot say it in another way; it is what it is. “We are even saying if there is going to be investment in the industry; there are things to be done, steps that we can take that we can continue to have investment and improvement in services. And one of the items that fall in this line is the protection of infrastructure because we need more investment and part of what will drive this is a tariff that reflects cost. We are not asking for too much, everybody can check it, we are not saying things that are out of place, we are saying things that we are seeing, and things that we fear will happen, we also can do nothing but we are also going to be guilty of inaction particularly when the problems are identified and we are just saying fix this problem so that people can continue to invest in the sector. Because what has attracted investment before is the right regulatory environment, it is the promises of the government that they have made that ABC will happen that ABC will not happen but we are grinding on one spot and we can’t blame anyone for not telling a good story. We can’t say it in a different way; would you say our tariff today reflects our cost? The answer is no. A big no and we are in the same ecosystem and the other people who have increased their prices. The issue of macro-economic that makes them to increase prices is also what we are confronting. So we need constant investment and consistent deployment so that we can continue to maintain what we have done,” he said.

    He said the industry is not seeking a financial lifeline from the government but an enabling environment that allows for free flow of cash from investors.

    “If you give money to the operators, you are going to cause further harm to the industry because people are not saying they are not willing to invest, people are saying give the operators a conducive operating environment and then we will continue the investment so if you give subvention, will it take away the problems with the operating environment? Giving subvention to the operator does cure the problem because it doesn’t fix the high energy cost, it doesn’t fix the security problem and nobody is asking the government for subvention, nobody is asking the government for intervention, nobody is asking for bail out.

    “No, we are only saying, even when we have an operating environment, look at all the numbers, fix the problems. That is all we are saying. And when I say the public, they say Nigerians are complaining, prices of things have gone up, so we can’t be palliative for the people now. That will be too expensive. It will be dangerous. And make no mistake about it, if something is not done, it will get to a time when we will stop talking and when we stop talking people will start feeling it at the point of service that is where they will start feeling it. Services will decline and when they decline, if you penalise them a hundred times, it will not solve the problem, so we need to own the problem together. It is not a blame game, we are an industry, and we need to own the problem together.

    “What we said in the last paragraph of our statement is that stakeholders should work together on an amicable way forward. So even if they say price is not the thing we say price is one of the factors. So what are you going to do to mitigate the price hike if you want to do something? What can the government do that will mitigate against it because we are saying that tariffs do not reflect our costs. It costs you N10 to produce garri, someone says you have to keep selling it at N5 which is the old price, so at some point you can’t produce again. It cost you N1000 to produce a loaf of bread and you are selling at N600, at some point you will run out of supply, your oven will go bad without repair, you owe electricity bill you can’t pay, you owe for diesel you can’t pay, you own those who supply you the ingredients you can’t pay them. So what will happen? You will stop producing bread. And what they are trying to do with price fixing in power will not work in telecom because in power, when you have power problem in the house, you can buy torch light, you can take your phone and buy battery (charger) and connect to your phone and use as light, you can buy generator, you can buy solar system, to mitigate against power outage. “When you don’t have water, you can bathe with pure water, you can bathe with Ragolis water, you can sink a borehole. You can buy water from a tanker, you have four alternatives.  When you don’t have telecoms, there is no self-help because it is an interconnected network, everybody in one network, there’s no self-help. Even when you say fuel is expensive, …I have not heard in the last 20 years where there are no cars because of fuel scarcity. We have not heard. Maybe the traffic will reduce, maybe some cars will not be on the road, it will never get to a point where you now trek from Lekki to … because there is no fuel. It has never happened. So what it means is that there are always solutions to keep people going in terms of demand and supply. In telecoms, there is no way that I want to do it myself, it’s an ecosystem and that ecosystem must work and be alive. That is what we are saying. So blaming and passing the buck will not help. Even the government coming to us and saying we can’t increase prices, what they are doing is simply price fixing. And when you fix price, people will not invest, machines will go out of service, they will not have new life, they will come to end of life, they will not have new life, and at the end of the day, the network will become very epileptic,” Adebayo said.

    According to him, something has to be done and done now, not tomorrow. Something has to be done now to respond to these problems. “We have listed the problems, start fixing them one after the other. So don’t start with tariff increase, solve the problems that will attract investors, protect the infrastructure, grant right of way (RoW) that is free not free by way of they said it, they give you bill for right of way for zero, then they will come and give you 45 different levies on top of the right of way zero, you come to a point when you do the multiple it becomes N6000 per linear metre when you add all the variables. So that is no solution. So to proffer proper solutions to the issues that we have raised, and address them holistically and when these problems are dealt with things will start improving.

    “So while we thank the government for their efforts, we thank particularly the NCC for leading the conversation, we thank the minister for what he is doing, effort is being made, the outcome is what we need, it is what people are waiting for,” he said.

  • NNPC/First E&P JV empowers NGOs with N53.4m

    NNPC/First E&P JV empowers NGOs with N53.4m

    As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and First Exploration & Production Limited (First E&P) Joint Venture (JV) has donated  N53 wmillion to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country.

    Under the JV’s “Impact First Initiative,” the donation, targeted at enhancing societal welfare, would address areas such as good healthcare and well-being, quality education as well as economic growth within the nation.

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    Speaking during the cheque presentation, NNPC Ltd’s Chief Upstream Investment Officer (CUIO), NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti, expressed gratitude to First E & P for initiating the laudable programme.

    Represented by the Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Mrs. Edith Lawson, Wunti highlighted NNPC Ltd’s belief in the power of CSR, stressing that the Company remains committed to working with its partners to impact the lives of the less-privileged.

    Wunti said under the initiative, projects and programmes executed include the provision of classrooms, ICT Centres, laboratories and other infrastructural intervention projects, scholarships, quiz competitions, skill acquisitions, and economic empowerment, a testimony to NNPC’s dedication to fostering sustainable development in Nigeria.

    Wunti described First E & P’s foresight and leadership as commendable, adding that the partner has spearheaded the initiative towards meaningful change that will ensure a better future for all Nigerians.

    Among the beneficiaries of the donation were the Irede Foundation, which provides custom-made artificial limbs to child amputees aged 0-18 and Human Development Initiative (HDI), which focuses on tackling fundamental issues of poverty, injustice, neglect, deprivation, and equality among vulnerable people.

    Others were the OISA Foundation, which transforms lives through interventions in the education and healthcare sectors; Cerebral Palsy Center, which renders support to families with children with cerebral palsy as well as the Niola Cancer Care Foundation, which organises awareness talks and screens communities for colon cancer.

  • A listening Farouk

    A listening Farouk

    Last week, this essayist warned the boss of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to do his job and stop thieving marketers. Farouk Ahmed heeded, and the marketers obeyed with fuel.

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    Some of them were caught hoarding and smuggling fuel. It is a happier day for the motorist. As I noted, it was a peculiar case of an embarrassment of riches. That has been the story of Nigeria. Ahmed had stood by and let the blame go to the wrong quarters, the NNPCL, which has now been vindicated.   

  • Ex-Dep. Provost for burial

    Ex-Dep. Provost for burial

    A community leader and former Deputy Provost, Oro College of Education, Kwara State, Chief Joshua Makinde, has died.

    Chief Makinde died after a brief illness at the age of 78.

    Makinde would be buried on May 31st after a funeral service at Iyeru Okin African Church, Offa, Kwara State.

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    An in-law of late Chief Makinde and Executive Director, Alpha 3D, Poroye Biyi, said that he would ensure a superlative burial for the former Provost.

    Among guests expected at the burial included  Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Minister of Interior, Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Kwara, Akwa Ibom, four others most backward in pension payment

    Kwara, Akwa Ibom, four others most backward in pension payment

    Six states – Kwara, Plateau, Borno, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Yobe – appear the most backward in pension obligations and payments toward their public servants.

    The states are yet to implement the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) since its introduction 20 years ago, leaving pension administration of the state in disarray.

    The overall best and most pension compliant, however, are states that have not only gone through the categories listed by PenCom in the report but have valid Group Life/Sinking Fund for their workers and retirees. They are Lagos, Kaduna,Osun, Edo, and Ondo as well as the  Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    While some states have taken various steps to implement the scheme and others enforce it, the six most non-complaint states  have remained at the Bill stage for years.

    This was shown in a report by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) on “Status of Implementation on Pension Arrangements in States and the FCT as at December 31, 2023”.

    In all, 25 states have implemented and enforced the CPS Law. They include Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Benue, Ogun, Kogi, Imo, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Ekiti, and Osun.

    Others are Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Delta, Kebbi, Niger, Abia, Sokoto, Enugu, Bayelsa, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Oyo as well as the FCT.

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    However, states with Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme (CDBS) Law are Jigawa, Gombe, Kano, Zamfara, Adamawa, and Katsina,

    States with Pension Bureau/Board include Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, FCT, Ekiti, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Osun, Edo, Benue, Ogun, and Kogi.

    States remitting employer and employee Pension Contributions under the CPS/CDBS are Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Benue, Ekiti, Delta, Jigawa (CDB), Osun, Edo, and Anambra. Also included in this list is the FCT.

    States remitting only employee pension contributions under the CPS are Kebbi and Rivers while states paying pension under CPS/CDBS are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, FCT, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, and Jigawa which is operating the CDBS.

    Besides, states that have conducted Actuarial Valuation are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, FCT, Ekiti, Rivers, Osun, Edo, and Benue.

    Similarly, states with Retirement Benefits Bond Redemption Fund Account (RBBRFA) are Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, Niger, Ekiti, Anambra (LG), Osun, Edo, and Rivers as well as the FCT while states funding accrued rights are Lagos, Kaduna, Anambra (LG), Osun, Edo, Rivers, and Delta as well as the FCT.

    The report read: “There were no changes in the status of the implementation of the CPS and other pension arrangements by states within the Fourth Quarter, 2023. The number of states, including the Federal Capital Territory, with laws on the CPS remained 25 and six states are at the Bill stage.

    “Six states have adopted the CDBS. Two out of the six like Jigawa and Kano are implementing the Scheme. Kano was yet to transfer pension assets for custody, while the four others, Gombe, Katsina, Zamfara and Adamawa were yet to commence implementation of the CDBS.’’

  • How Nigeria can achieve resilient economic growth, by IMF

    How Nigeria can achieve resilient economic growth, by IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has provided guidance for Nigeria’s managers on ways to trigger lasting economic growth.

    In Article IV Report released at the weekend, the Fund recommended determined and well-sequenced implementation of the authorities’ policy intentions like exchange rate reforms and petrol subsidy removal would pave the way for faster, more inclusive, resilient growth.

    It said a package of policies that restores macroeconomic stability through a tightening of policies to rein in inflation and reduce naira pressures, combined with structural reforms to ease trade barriers, strengthen the business environment, and support climate resilience will boost confidence, increase investment, and incentivise job creation.

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     “Addressing the security challenges in the agriculture and oil sectors is critical. Efforts to strengthen foreign exchange (forex) inflows from hydrocarbon exports, including by further enhancing transparency, would improve the fiscal and external balances,” the Fund said.

    According to  IMF, fiscal policy needs to support vulnerable households, create space to boost social and development spending, and maintain debt sustainability.

    “Fiscal policy is held back by one of the lowest revenue takes in the world of 9.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023. As the government finalises and presents its reform agenda, sequencing will be key to ensure safety nets are in place or strengthened before proceeding with other measures that could adversely impact poor and vulnerable households,” the Fund said.

    It said  the Nigeria’s Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) outlines reforms to improve domestic revenue mobilisation and diversify the economy.

    “A Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms is developing a comprehensive revenue mobilisation strategy which aims to simplify the tax structure and revamp key tax legislation for which the Fund stands ready to provide Capacity Development or desk reviews. Staff notes that achieving fast and large revenue gains as envisaged by the authorities will require determination and political capital. Staff welcomes the authorities’ cautious approach of making additional spending conditional on having achieved revenue gains. Budget credibility can be enhanced through improvements in fiscal reporting and monitoring, and reporting of fiscal risks from Public-Private Partnerships can be enhanced, as identified by Fund Capacity Development support,” the stated.

    Continuing, the Fund said revenue measures in the year would focus on revenue administration and base broadening. It stated that the authorities aim to ease payment of tax remittances from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), leverage technology and third-party reporting to broaden the tax net and enhancing excise collections by transferring administrative responsibilities to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

  • Marketers worry over increased petrol cost at private depots

    Marketers worry over increased petrol cost at private depots

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at the weekend raised the alarm as private depots increased the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol to N770 per litre.

    Its National President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, broke the news to The Nation on phone.

    According to him, the depots are complaining that the cost of cargo freight at the high sea has increased and affected their prices.

    He said this accounted for the high cost of petrol nationwide, despite its availability.

    Explaining the cost components that have led to the upward adjustment of price, he added that the same has affected the pump price.

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    Citing Lagos, he noted that the cost of transportation in Lagos is N30 or N35 per litre. He stressed that the aggregate cost of petrol in Lagos is N800/litre.

    For those lifting the product as far as Kebbi State, Maigandi said the cost of haulage to Lagos is about N70/litre.

    According to him, petrol sells at between N900 and N1,000 per litre in Birni Kebbi.

    His words: “It is a little bit available now because there is no queue. But the only thing is the cost in the private depots. They sell it at N770/litre.

    “They are complaining about the transportation for their cargoes from the high sea. That is the reason they increased the price.

    “At that rate, the pump price depends on the distance. Where you will spend N30 like in Lagos, if you add N770 plus N30, it is N800.

    “Then they have to add the margin for the profit because the capital you are going to use is almost N30 million plus. The capital to buy the product. “Like 45,000 litres. If you multiply 45,000 times by N770, you will see the amount. Within Lagos, you have to pay N30 or N35. Then when you are coming to the Northern part, it is N60 to N70. In Kebbi, a litre of petrol is N900 to N1,000/litre.”

    Asked to proffer a solution to the petrol price crisis, the IPMAN National President said respite would come when Dangote and the Port Harcourt Refineries started production.

    “The solution is let Dangote start its PMS. And if the Port Harcourt Refinery starts producing, the price will be lesser,” he said .