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Tag: petrol scarcity

  • Petrol scarcity hits Abuja over Dangote/PENGASSAN feud

    Petrol scarcity hits Abuja over Dangote/PENGASSAN feud

    The crisis between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery over the sack of over 800 staff has culminated in the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The association has cut the gas supply to the refinery since Sunday.

    The Nation, however, monitored the petrol market in the FCT on Tuesday to discover that almost all the retail outlets were under lock and key.

    Black marketers displayed the same PMS in strategic locations, like at the Conoil opposite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the Central Business District.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) National President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, said the scarcity was due to the cut of supply from the Dangote Refinery.

    Read Also: Tinubu meets global investment leaders, reaffirms Nigeria’s readiness for partnerships

    According to him, Dangote is the sole supplier of the product, and loading is slow at the refinery.

    He added that private depots have hiked petrol price to N980 per litre in Lagos.

    He urged the warring parties to quickly settle their differences for the sake of the economy.

    Similarly, the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) National Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, said the only cause of the scarcity was the Dangote and PENGASSAN crisis.

    He appealed to the federal government to quickly resolve the crisis.

  • Passengers stranded, fare soars as petrol scarcity worsens in Lagos, FCT, cities

    Passengers stranded, fare soars as petrol scarcity worsens in Lagos, FCT, cities

    • Vehicles scrambling to buy petrol at Mobil filling station, Abule-Egba, Lagos…yesterday

    Petrol scarcity in parts of the country worsened yesterday. Transporters had hectic time getting the product for their vehicles and other petrol-dependent businesses.

    While many transporters got their vehicles off the road due to the scarcity, those who had the product increased fares on all routes.

    In Lagos, some residents said the situation was tough for them to cope with.

    A commercial bus driver, Abeeb Tijani, said he bought petrol between N850 and N1,300 per litre at filling stations after a long wait at filling stations.

    He said the situation made black market operators to sell the product at N5,000 and N6,000 for three litres.

    A POS operator, Rasheedat Ogedengbe, said she resorted to buying petrol at N1,500 per litre from the black market.

    A civil servant, Segun Olaniyan, said he could not go to his office yesterday due to the hike in transport fare.

    “Danfo drivers have increased the fare to an unbearable level. I will spend close N6,000 to and fro office, if I decided to go. How much is my salary? I can’t afford it,” he said.

    Also, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who monitored the fuel situation within Lagos metropolis said fuel price surged as scarcity worsened.

    Many filling stations on Ikorodu Road, Agege, Iyana-Ipaja, Ikeja, Somolu, Bariga, Ogba, and Surulere were closed due to petrol shortage.

    Long queues were prevalent at the few filling stations selling the product.

    At Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, and Ibeju-Lekki, a litre of petrol sold for N940 and above.

    A Mobil filling station at Abule Egba sold petrol for up to N700 per litre.

    The Manager at Mobil Station at Abule-Egba, Mr. Adesanya Tunde, told NAN: “We couldn’t get enough supply, which is impacting our business and our customers.

    “We are doing our best to manage the situation, but it is challenging.”

    A manager at a Conoil filling station, Mr. Abiodun Ayeni, blamed the increased PMS pump price on scarcity of the product.

    In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), many passengers were seen roaming the bus stops where some returned home after losing hope of getting vehicles to their offices and work places.

    Asked how much it cost to pay for fare, a commuter, who simply identified himself as Idris said: “From NNPCL in Kubwa, it was N700, instead of N600.”

    Many retail outlets did not open to customers while the few that sold the product had long queues.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) left its pump price unchanged at N617 per litre while independent marketers sold theirs for between N690 and N720 per litre.

    But some retail outlets sold the product for as high as N850 to N900 per litre in remote parts of the territory.

    Most motorists resorted to buying from the black market where the product was sold for between N9,000 and N11,000 for 10 litres.

    Speaking with The Nation at MRS filling station opposite Setraco by Kubwa expressway, a taxi driver, Bulu Jang said: “I came to queue for petrol because of the hint that they are discharging the product, but three hours have passed without sale.”

    In Abia State, members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) sold PMS for N970 and N980 per litre.

    Two weeks ago, The Nation had reported that IPMAN members sold the product at N930 to N940 per litre.

    Residents of the state were shocked that the marketers jacked up the pump price to N980 without notice.

    There were no queues at most of the filing stations our correspondent visited, but some commuters accused the management of the NNPCL selling petrol across the state of hoarding the product.

    Transporters said if the situation did not improve, commuters should prepare to buy the product for N1,000 per litre.

    Read Also: Petrol scarcity brings back queues to Lagos, Abuja, cities

    Many marketers maintained that the landing cost of petrol was already over N1,000 per litre.

    The hike in the pump price of petrol has slightly affected transport fares across the state.

    In Ebonyi State, a litre of petrol was sold for over N900 at most filling stations and over N1,000 in the black market.

    Major marketers still sold at approved pump price whenever they had the product.

    The two major marketers, the NNPC and Total, occasionally had the product and sold it in many parts of the state.

    In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and its environs, aside from NNPCL that sold the product at N580 per litre, others sold the product from between N650 and N970 per litre.

    The Nation observes that while the petrol stations that sells the product freely sell for consumers with kegs and other containers, those selling at N580 on sell directly in cars and.

    In Adamawa State, petrol was sold between N950 and N1,000 per litre at independent petrol dealers’ stations.

    Only a handful of them had the product for sale.

    At NNPC stations, the price remained at N630 per litre, but in Yola, the state capital, only one mega NNPC station sold the product.

    Commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Keke operators, charged N150 per drop, although this was N50 above the regular fare.

    In most filling stations in Jos, the Plateau State capital, a litre of petrol was sold at N1,000, while black marketers sold the same quantity for N1,500.

    The official price of the PMS is N600 and N700 per litre. But as of yesterday (Sunday night) the price has shoot up with no official announcement.

    At Total Energies, Oando, Mobil, among other regular marketers, the price was N685 per litre yesterday.

    But independent marketers sold the same quantity for N1,000.

    In many parts of Osun State, the price of petrol varied.

    Some filling stations sold it at N980, N960, N950, and N940 per litre but NNPC stations sold it at  N560 per litre.

    Our correspondent reports that there was scarcity of the product at Ile-Ife, Ikirun, Ilesha, and Iwo.

    There was no fuel scarcity in Jigawa State as of yesterday.

    The product was available at almost all the independent marketers’ filling stations in Dutse, the state capital, and other towns.

    In Kaduna State, petrol price rose to N1,200 per litre in the black market as scarcity of the product persisted.

    Our correspondent reports that most of the major marketers were not selling petrol yesterday.

    The price ranged from N670 to N930, depending on the proximity of the filling station to the city centre.

    Black marketers sold the products in Jerry cans by the roadside at N1,200 per litre.

    There was no petrol scarcity in Rivers State as of yesterday.

    But many filling stations in Port Harcourt, the state capital, were under lock and key, signaling that they were out of the product.

    Those selling it charged between N985 and N1,000 per litre.

    Transport fares increased with transporters charging about 100 per cent above the regular fares.

  • Petrol scarcity: Motorists lament hardship as black market thrives

    Petrol scarcity: Motorists lament hardship as black market thrives

    • By Muyiwa Lucas, Udeh, Onyebuchi and Musa Idris

    Motorists in Lagos yesterday expressed frustrations over the hardship being faced in the wake of the unavailability of petrol at filling stations.

    Although more Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Retail outlets and also major marketers’ outlets like Mobil, TotalEnergies, ConOil, among others, opened for sale, the queues at the stations have been elongated.

    A motorist, Mustapha Ibrahim, wondered why the petrol stations that claimed not to have petrol on Sunday suddenly opened their stations yesterday to sell to the public. For him, this smacks of anything but artificial scarcity.

    “On Sunday, the stations claimed that they had no petrol; but today (yesterday) more of them opened their pumps to sell. So, what magic happened overnight that brought petrol to their nozzle? I think they are just being wicked and simply happy when they see their countrymen suffering,” he said.

    The scarcity, which began early this month, has escalated, with filling stations across the city hiking prices and lengthy queues becoming the norm. At Rainoil in Akinogun Ipaja, a litre sold for N780; Mobil in Ipaja sold at N820 per litre.

    At NIPCO, MRS, and TotalEnergies stations, the price of petrol has skyrocketed to N700 per litre, while that of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) stations have maintained the official price, yet this has done little to alleviate the situation.

    Read Also: Petrol scarcity brings back queues to Lagos, Abuja, cities

    The queues at filling stations stretched for hours, with motorists, motorcyclists, and tricyclists alike expressing frustration. Across the state, tales of man hour lost and pains experienced by the public, it is said, cannot be quantified. Another motorist, who craved anonymity, complained about the hours spent to buy petrol.

    “I spent over two hours at the NNPC filling station at Cement Bus Stop; this is manhour lost to the scarcity which can never be regained,” he said.

    “How can we be suffering like this in a country that produces oil? The fuel price is too high, yet you still have to queue for hours before you can get it,” lamented a motorist who simply identified himself as Samuel.

    The scarcity has also led to a sharp increase in transportation fares across the city. Commuters now face hikes in costs, with drivers citing the high fuel prices as the reason for the surge. This has left many residents grappling with the double burden of fuel shortages and increased daily expenses.

    In the midst of the crisis, black marketers have taken advantage of the situation, selling petrol in jerry cans at exorbitant prices.

    This depends on the area of purchase, petrol is being sold for as high as N1,200 to N1,500 per litre. This has forced desperate motorists to turn to the black market as a quicker, but more expensive, alternative to queuing at official stations.

    “The difference is clear. It’s easier and faster to get fuel from black marketers than NNPC or other filling stations due to the scarcity and long queues. But the prices they’re charging are outrageous—N6,000 for just five litres. ‘‘We can’t continue like this.” said Emmanuel, another motorist.

  • Petrol scarcity brings back queues to Lagos, Abuja, cities

    Petrol scarcity brings back queues to Lagos, Abuja, cities

    • NNPCL blames it all on distribution hitches

    • Marketers raise prices to between N950 and N1,000 per litre

    There were long queues of vehicles yesterday at the few filling stations selling petrol in the commercial city of Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    It is the same situation in many state capitals, cities and towns across the country.

    Major roads in Lagos were empty because motorists did not have petrol to move around.

    Black market boomed with the scarcity of the product.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) attributed the scarcity of the product to a distribution glitch.

    It cautioned against panic buying.

    “The NNPC Ltd regrets the tightness in fuel supply witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT, which is as a result of distribution challenges,” Olufemi Soneye, spokesman of the NNPCL said yesterday.

    He urged motorists to shun panic buying as it works round the clock with relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy.

    He added that the challenge was temporary.

    The product sold yesterday for between N840 and N1,000 in many places nationwide.

    Lagos:

    Fuel queues resurfaced in Lagos as many filling stations ran out of stock, leading to closures and long queues at the stations.

    Along Ikorodu Road, many filling stations were not selling.

    However, there were long queues at the NNPCL and NIPCO stations at Fadeyi Bus Stop, which sold to commuters.

    Read Also; NNPCL blames petrol scarcity on distribution challenge

    Along Bank Anthony/Airport Road in Maryland, Total, Northwest, and NNPCL stations were beset by long queues while the Mobil Station at Salami Shaibu in Somolu closed abruptly due to chaotic scenes caused by commercial vehicles.

    Illegal fuel hawkers were spotted along Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Gbagada, and Ogba, taking advantage of the situation.

    Also, fares paid by commuters along Iyana-Ipaja/ Ikotun rose from N300 to N400. Commuters along Ajao Estate/ Obalende paid N1,000 instead of  N800.

    A bus driver, Jimoh Saka, who ply the Onipaanu/Ilaje/ Bariga route, spoke on the struggle to obtain fuel, justifying the fare hike from N200 to N300 for trips from Bariga to Onipaanu.

    He said: “The increase in transport costs is not our fault. We sleep at petrol stations just to buy fuel and continue our business. Things are hard, and people should understand it is not our fault.”

    Another driver, Gbenga Saliu, expressed frustration over the stress of waiting in long queues, saying: “It’s seriously stressful.”

    At the three NNPCL outlets in the Ojodu-Berger axis, only one had a 45,000-litre truck waiting to discharge its content while anxious motorists formed queues at its entrance causing traffic snarls.

    The RainOil petrol station sold to motorists, amid the chaotic queue.

    From Berger through Alapere to Iyana Oworonshoki, to Anthony on Ikorodu Road, none of the filling stations opened for business. TotalEnergies, ConOil, AP, and Heyden on Ilupeju Bypass, were all closed.

    Abuja

    Petrol remained scarce in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) yesterday.

    The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) President, Dr. Billy Harry attributed the shortage to a “supply challenge.”

    Apart from some NNPCL retail outlets, only a few independent filling stations sold the product.

    While NNPCL sold for N617 per litre, some independent marketers sold for between N625 per litre to N996 per litre.

    Black marketers sold 10 litres at N1,000 per litre for N11,000 in plastic containers.

    Some drivers sacrificed their Sunday worship for petrol sourcing, leaving their homes as early as 6:00am to queue in different stations.

    Plateau

    Many filling stations in Jos, Plateau State capital, did not open.

    Commercial drivers expressed worry over the scarcity, and hiked the price at the few stations dispensing the product

    Motorists said they bought the product for N950 per litre at independent oil marketers’ stations and N620 at NNPCL stations in the metropolis.

    A commercial driver, Pam John, said he would rather join the queue at the NNPCL station instead of paying over N900 for a litre.

    Another motorist, Kateng David, said he parked his car because he could not afford to buy a litre of petrol for over N900.

    Along Bauchi Road, a station sold the product for N900; while at A.A. Rano Station, petrol was dispensed at N730.

    An independent oil marketer in Jos, who pleaded anonymity, attributed the supply shortage to marketers’  reluctance to bring the product from Lagos because of the possibility of the price crashing when Dangote Refinery begins supplying to the market.

    According to him, marketers buy petrol for N900 per litre in Jos and sell for N950 after considering transportation costs.

    Black marketers are in brisk business as a gallon of the product is sold for N5,000, while a litre is sold for N1,250.

    Akure

    Fuel scarcity hit, Akure, the Ondo State capital, with the price rising to between N800 and N900 per litre.

    Some major marketers sold for between N600 and 680 per litre. 

    Sources said the non-availability of fuel was due to low sales of fuel to independent marketers.

    Osun

    Due to scarcity in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, a few independent marketers sold for N900 per litre.

    Many stations were shut while others sold for between N850 to N900.

    There were queues at the NNPC stations in Lameko and Abere areas.

    Similarly, there were long queues at NIPCO stations in Ogo-Oluwa, Technical and Lameco areas.

    Also, Ilesa, Ile-Ife and Ikirun experienced fuel scarcity.

    Owerri

    As the pump price rose to N950 per litre in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, transport fares rose by 100 per cent.

    “This is a nightmare for us drivers,” said Emeka Uzoma, a commercial driver. “Our income hasn’t increased, but fuel prices have doubled. We’re struggling to survive.”

    Commuters are also feeling the pinch. “I’m a student, and my transport fare has doubled,” lamented Nneoma Okorie, who added: “This sudden increase will affect my ability to attend classes. The government needs to act fast to address this crisis.”

    Transporters appealed to the Federal Government to intervene, while residents fear potential protests and disruptions.

    A resident who simply gave his name as Jonathan urged the authorities to address the crisis and regulate prices to ensure affordable transportation.

    Rivers

    Filling stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State sold a litre for between N890 to N900.

    Many of the filling stations were not open, a situation that created some queues in others.

    At the popular Ada George Road, only one filling station was open.

    Residents complained about the rising cost of fuel and appealed to the government to reduce the price.

    A resident, who identified himself as Adulphus, said many filling stations in his area did not open for business.

    Katsina

    Fuel price jumped to N1,050 in Katsina, leading to increased transport fare

    At Dan Manna filling station, a motorcyclist, Abdulkadir Mohammed, said the situation was worse as most passengers now preferred trekking.

    He said: “The government must do something about the fuel situation; the people are suffering.’’

    Akwa Ibom

    Consumers groaned in Akwa Ibom State following the hike in the price to N970 per litre.

    The NNPC filling station along Ikot Ekpene Road sold the product at N840 per litre.

    Some filling stations have remained closed.

    A fuel pump attendant in one of the stations in Uyo, the state capital,  said the proprietor of the station cannot afford to restock the product.

    He complained about low patronage as one of the reasons why some filling stations were out of business.

    Ekiti

    Motorists and commuters in Ekiti State lamented the increase in the pump price, which has been fluctuating at stations across the state.

    Most independent petrol stations visited in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, sold petrol for between N850 to N900/litre while major marketers sold for between N650 and 680 per litre.

    The situation has forced motorists to jerk up the transportation fare.

    A motorist simply identified as Yaro, who plies the Ado Ekiti/ Ilesha route, lamented the situation, saying he purchased fuel at the rate of N850 in a private petrol station in Ado-Ekiti.

    Jigawa

    Filing stations sold petrol for N950 per litre in Dutse, the state capital, and many towns in the state.

    Enugu

    In Enugu and its environs, petrol was sold for between N880 and N920 per litre and N1,300 on the black market.

    But the product was available in most petrol stations in the Enugu metropolis.

    Mobil, Total, among other mega stations sold for between N690 and N760 per litre.

    The hike in the pump price of PMS has led to an increase in transport fare by commercial drivers, as those plying Agbani Road / Holy Ghost Roads, who charged N200, increased the fare to N400.

    From Obiagu to Ogui Road, passengers who previously paid N100  paid N200 yesterday.

    Ogun

    Scarcity hit Abeokuta, the state capital, where petrol was sold for between N850 and N900.

    Major marketers like MRS near the Grammar School in Oke Igbein area of Abeokuta did not open.

    But AP in the Adatan area of Abeokuta sold for N635 while Fatgbems located near the NNPC Mega station area sold for N645.

    However, a long queue was observed at the NNPC mega station beside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta because it was dispensing the product to consumers at N580 per litre.

    In Ijebu Ode, BOVAS filling station sold a litre for N665 while others sold for between N850 and N900 per litre.

    Anambra

    The price of fuel hit N950  in Anambra State at most filling stations.

    Black marketers sold a litre for between N1000 and N1,200

    The situation led to a hike in transport fares.

    One of the commuters who spoke with The Nation Sunday, Stella Achikwu, said a journey from Awka to Achina in Aguata where she used to spend N1,500 now costs between N6,700 and N7,100.

    Asaba

    Scarcity of petroleum products resurfaced in Asaba and its environs, forcing a spike in pump prices and long queues at many filling stations.

    With many filling stations under lock and key, pump price increased to between N815 snxN900 per litre.

    Although the NNPC mega station along the Benin- Onitsha Expressway sold at N591 per litre to motorists, there were long queues.

    Oyo

    In many petrol stations in Ibadan, the Oyo State, capital city and its environs, there was no fuel.

    The majority of the stations were under lock and key as the attendants claimed they did not have the product.

    The few independent marketers sold at different prices which ranged from N680 to N920 per litre.

    The NNPC stations that sold at N580 per litre had long queues.

    Edo

    Most filling stations in Benin and its environs sold at N880 per litre without any queue.

    However, the independent marketers sold at N900 per litre in Benin and its environs.

    The product was available at most filling stations, but motorists complained about the high price.

    Cross River State

    The NNPCL price was N591 naira per litre, while North West Petroleum, an independent private marketer, sold for N650 per litre.

    Other marketers sold between N650, N700 and N750. Some sold for N800 and N900.

    On the black market, it was sold for between N1,200 to N1,500.

    A female Taxi driver and Chairman of the Female Taxi Drivers Association in Cross River, Ms Philomena Ifeoma Asibe, said the solution is to bring back subsidy to stabilise fuel prices.

    She said: “Some days, we buy fuel, go out and we cannot make any profit or even get the capital back. The solution is that they should bring back our fuel subsidy. The only way to stabilise fuel price is to return fuel subsidy.”

    A taxi driver, Mr Ettah Godson, said: “Fuel is now N900 in my area. I bought fuel for N8000 and the whole day I made N6,000. The government needs to do something.

    “The fuel is there, but it is too expensive. We can’t buy much and the passengers won’t accept to pay according to the fuel price.”

    Jalingo

    Some petrol stations sold the product while others were closed. Fuel was sold for N930 per litre.

    Minna

    Minna, the capital of Niger State, was not hit by fuel scarcity, although a litre sold for between N780 and N950 at various filling stations.

    At Rano and Shafa filling stations,  fuel was sold for N820; at Rainoil, it was sold for N780. Other non-independent marketers sold for between N900 and N950.

    Also, NNPC sold a litre for N617, amid long queues.

    Ebonyi

    In Ebonyi, the product sold for between N830 and N850. However, it sold for N900 on the black market.

    However, the NNPC filling station along the Abakaliki-Enugu highway sold fuel for N600. There were long queues.

    Also, the Total filling station on the old Ogoja Road sold at a cheaper rate.

    Sokoto

    Most filling stations in the Sokoto metropolis did not sell.

    At the independent marketers’ filling stations, commuters paid N1,000 for a litre,

    The NNPCL mega station along Kano-Gusau Road sold at N620 per litre amid long queues.

    Residents resorted to trekking to their destinations.

    Delta

    Major marketers sold for N900 per litre at filling stations in Warri, Effurun and its environs.

    Some fuel stations reportedly sold petrol for N1,170 in the Uvwie council area.

    Despite the high cost, the product was not readily available at fuel stations.

    A commercial vehicle operator who claimed to have bought a litre at N1,170 said he had to do so after failing to get fuel at two other stations visited.

    Also, a resident of Warri who bought the product at N920 per litre, said most fuel stations in the Warri/Effurun metropolis were selling above N900 per litre.

    Abia

    Some petrol stations in Abia State sold a litre for between N930 and N960.

    Some of the petrol station owners attributed the hike to the cost of purchase and transportation to their dump.

    In Aba, Total Energy and the only NNPCL outlet were without products.

    Some tricycle operators said the NNPCL outlet on Asa Road, near Cemetery Market, sold for ₦596 per litre.

  • Marketers’ seek Tinubu’s intervention in perennial petrol scarcity

    Marketers’ seek Tinubu’s intervention in perennial petrol scarcity

    To tackle the perennial petrol scarcity regularly witnessed across the country, a section of operators in the downstream sector has urged President Bola Tinubu to take a more critical look and interest in the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ( NNPCL) , the Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, ( DAPPMAN) and the regulatory agency, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA).

    Some of the stakeholders, mainly independent marketers, decried what they called “shady deals” between the oil giant, NNPC, the tank farm owners and the NMDPRA which they noted were inimical to availability of the products and its seamless distribution to retail outlets.

    The marketers who craved anonymity, said that NNPCL as the sole importer of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into the country , has by its actions now put members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at the mercy of DAPPMAN for the product’s supply. Although IPMAN controls over 70 per cent of petrol stations across the country, DAPPMAN are the tank farm owners.

    Findings revealed that while the NNPCL sells petrol at an ex- depot price of N556.5 per liter, private depot owners, however, sell to marketers at between N700 to N740.00 per litre.

    “This is why retail outlets in most parts of the country sell at N800 to N900 per litre. When we buy at this type of price , then we are left with little or no marginal profit to sell at stations. So our members have no choice than to sell at a margin that will still leave them with a small profit,” the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, explained to The Nation in an earlier interview.

    Most industry stakeholders spoken to, canvassed a return to the previous operational arrangement when the NNPCL used to  release  petroleum products allocation to tank farm owners for distribution to marketers with a benchmark on price.

    They therefore called on the federal government to sanitise the distribution chain by prevailing on the NNPCL and its regulatory arm, the NMDPRA to insist on an ex- depot price for the tank farm owners.

    ” What we used to have in the past was an arrangement where the NNPCL gave allocations meant for independent marketers to the private depot owners to sell to marketers with a benchmark, a reasonable price.

    ” Now, the independent marketers have no allocation, they are at the mercy of the tank farm owners. A situation where there is no ex-depot price won’t augur well for the industry. Private depot owners now sell at N800 to those of us who will sell at retail outlets to ordinary Nigerians.

    Read Also: Black market thrives amid petrol scarcity in Lagos, Ogun

    “We are the ones Nigerians are accusing of hoarding products and selling at exorbitant prices.

    “Instead of the midstream regulatory agency to do its job by beaming searchlight on the activities of the tank farm owners, by insisting on Ex- depot price they are using the marketers as scapegoats.

    “There is a cabal in the sector creating problems for President Bola Tinubu. He must show the determined will to break their rank. How many stations do tank farm  owners have.? But they are making huge profits to the detriment of Nigerians.”

    The marketers who  expressed the hope that giving the necessary incentives to the Dangote Refinery would go a long way in addressing the shortfall in product availability also called on the federal government to make the four  refineries work to put an end to product importation.

  • Black market thrives amid petrol scarcity in Lagos, Ogun

    Black market thrives amid petrol scarcity in Lagos, Ogun

    Petrol black marketers in Lagos and Ogun states are smiling to the bank as the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) bites harder across the states.

    The scarcity, noticed as early as late Thursday, worsened yesterday with several filling stations closing shop while the few that had the product had long queues of vehicles.

    On Ogunnusi Road at Ojodu Berger, of the three NNPC retail outlets that dot the stretch, only one near Omole Roundabout dispensed to motorists.

    Also, on the long stretch between Berger and Anthony Oke bus stop, only two filling stations – Mobil Oil at Alausa Secretariat and Heyden at Alapere – sold the product.

    At Alagbole and Akute areas of Ogun State – both border towns to Lagos State – only the NNPC retail outlet dispensed petrol to a long stretch of vehicles.

    While the NNPC stations maintained N568 and N580 per litre in Lagos and Ogun states, most filling stations owned by independent marketers sold at N900 per litre.

    At AMUF Oil (presently being rebranded but its new name yet to be unveiled) located in Grammar School in Ojodu, a litre of petrol was sold at N850 per litre.

    Black market operators have seized the situation to make quick money.

    At the Mobil filling station in Ikeja, a litre of petrol was sold at N1,500 in the black market. In Ojota, the same quantity was sold for N1,800 a litre.

    Read Also: We’re addressing petrol scarcity- NNPC

    The situation left many private vehicle owners to stay indoors, while commuters were stranded at various bus stops. The few commercial buses operated also cashed in on the situation to hike transport fare by as high as 150 per cent.

    In a terse statement yesterday, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, explained that a hitch in the discharge operations of some vessels caused the fuel scarcity in some parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos and the Federal Capital territory (FCT) Abuja.

    He said: “The NNPC Limited wishes to state that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT is as a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.

    “The company further states that it is working round the clock with all stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy in the operations.”

    When The Nation contacted the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abubakar Maigandi, he pleaded to have more time to verify the situation today.

    “What I can tell you is that private depots increased their ex depot price of petrol to as much as N790 per litre,” he said.

    The Secretary of Abuja/Suleja chapter of IPMAN, Mohammed Shuaibu, reportedly confirmed the fuel scarcity.

    “Some of them may not have products to dispense due to unavailability. However, many marketers are worried about the proposed protest and are already taking measures to prevent losses.

    “Closing shops is one such measure, and this, of course, is going to cause queues in such locations because the number of stations selling petrol would be reduced.

    “I am in Lokoja (Kogi State) and many filling stations are not dispensing petrol. This is not a good thing because we only recovered from the fuel queues recently in major cities across the country, though that situation was due to a drop in supply from NNPC,” he said.

    Also, the Executive Secretary of Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, explained the situation was due to supply issues from the high seas.

    He said the disruption in loading began last Wednesday because of shortage in product.

    But the MEMAN Executive Secretary assured that the situation would soon be resolved.

  • NNPCL blames disruption for FCT petrol scarcity

    NNPCL blames disruption for FCT petrol scarcity

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Monday blamed the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol on disruption of ship-to-ship transfer of petrol.

    Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement.

    He said: “The fuel queues in the FCT is primarily due to disruption of ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of PMS between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels resulting from recent thunderstorms, and the consequential flooding of trucking routes which constrained movement of PMS to Abuja from coastal corridors.”

    Read Also: Petrol scarcity: How seven trapped vessels are prolonging crisis

    Petrol has been scarce in FCT since last week resulting in the pump price increase to as much as N720 to N820 per litre.

    Although some independent marketers vend the product for N690/litre kamid endless queues, Total Energies sells it for N660/litre.

    The NNPCL retail outlets still sell it for N617 per litre recording the longest queues.

  • Petrol scarcity: How seven trapped vessels are prolonging crisis

    Petrol scarcity: How seven trapped vessels are prolonging crisis

    • Supply situation to improve next week – Marketers

    • Motorists pay N800 and above for litre of PMS

    Independent marketers expect the current fuel supply crisis in parts of the country to abate not later than next week.

    Their optimism is hinged on the ongoing efforts to free seven fuel-laden vessels trapped in Warri.

    The vessels are carrying a total of 150 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) an official of the Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) told The Nation yesterday.

    The fuel shortage remained critical in many states of the federation last night although reports from other parts said the situation was easing off.

    The DAPPMAN source said: “Seven vessels are trapped in Warri. It happened that four were on their way to Nigeria when they ran into other two that had broken down and the one that was trying to rescue them, making seven vessels.

    “They are all in Warri and once their total stock of 150 million litres hits the market, the queues will disappear.”

    The claim could not be confirmed from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), whose chief spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, asked that an SMS be sent to him when he was contacted on the phone.

    This was done promptly, but his response had not come at press time.

    The fuel crisis appeared to have eased marginally in the Federal Capital Territory yesterday.

    The situation in parts of Lagos and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was also relatively better yesterday.

    Filling stations of NNPC, NIPCO and ENYO in Ibadan operated in full and sold at the old rates of between N580 and N630 per litre.

    Read Also: Five famous persons who died on birthdays

    Consequently, queues reduced drastically towards the evening.

    Motorists who fuelled their vehicles on Friday told The Nation that they were able to buy fuel within 90 minutes of queuing.

    A motorist, Mr Wale Olola, said: “I went out at about 10am in search of fuel. I had prepared my mind to spend about four to five hours wherever I got but was surprised to see NNPC, ENYO, NIPCO and others selling.

    “Because of the availability in more stations, the queues were not as long as they were earlier in the week.

    “I joined the queue and was able to buy fuel within an hour. It was so soothing.”

    Yet some filling stations were closed yesterday for lack of product supply.

    Commercial transporters were still charging exorbitant fares as at Friday with the claim that they bought fuel at high cost.

    Fuel hits N950 per litre in Ondo

    There was still no respite in Ondo State yesterday with a litre of fuel going for N950 per litre in Akure, the state capital.

    Many of the petrol stations in Akure did not even have products to dispense.

    Chairman of IPMAN, Ore depot, Shiba Amoo, said fuel would soon be available in Akure.

    “We are working on how we can have priority for Akure. NNPCL has called for immediate loading of fuel,” he said.

    It’s N880 per litre in Enugu

    There were long queues at NNPC filling stations in Enugu where the product was sold for N600 per liter.

    But the price differed at other filling stations, going for N880 per litre in some of them.

    In places like Nsukka and Obollo Afor, it was between N880 and N1000 per liter.

    However, only NNPC outlets and those of Total Energies sold N600 and N667 per liter respectively.

    The price also ranged between N730 and N800 per litre in Anambra, Imo and Abia states, although there is no scarcity in Anambra.

    In Imo State, the high price has caused significant disruption and hardship with transporters increasing fares by 100%.

    Despite the availability of the product, motorists are struggling to cope with the increased cost, which has added to their financial burdens.

    Many commuters have expressed their discontent, saying that the price hike has made it difficult for them to afford transportation to work, school, and other daily activities.

    Many of the major and Independent Petroleum Marketers operating various petrol stations in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, had no queues, but sold for ₦730-₦750.

    On Friday, our correspondent reports that the pump price of PMS rose to ₦750-₦800 per liter.

    No scarcity in Port Harcourt

    Fuel is readily available in Rivers State although a litre can only be got for nothing less than N750.

    A resident of the city said yesterday that he bought a litre for N712 on Thursday and N750 yesterday.

    “Most filling stations have fuel but I noticed that they jerked up the price,” he said.

    However, some of the stations did not sell to motorists, even when their gates were left wide open.

  • Petrol scarcity spreads to Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Edo, others

    Petrol scarcity spreads to Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Edo, others

    • Marketers resume product lifting from depots
    • NNPCL: There is sufficient stock

    The shortage of petrol yesterday spread to Lagos State.

    Motorists and others waited for hours in queues at the few filling stations dispensing the product.

    Other states that experienced acute scarcity are Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and Jigawa.

    The scarcity first hit the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last week. But an improvement was noticed by The Nation across Abuja yesterday.  

    Most Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) franchise stations, especially in Lagos, had their gates closed to motorists due to a lack of stock.

    However, some marketers that opened for business in the nation’s commercial capital had queues. 

    Scores of jerry can–carrying residents were also seen struggling for access.

    Unlike independent marketers who cashed in on the situation to slightly hike their pump prices, the majors did not.

    But, as vehicle owners and other petrol users lamented the situation, the NNPC Ltd and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) blamed the scarcity on the logistics challenge.

    They, however, gave an assurance that normalcy would return this week as product lifting started by marketers.

    NNPCL Chief Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said the company had no issues with stock availability.

    He explained that each time a supply disruption happens(like the one caused by logistics hiccups), it normally takes a maximum of five days for normalcy to return.

    “It (logistics challenge) has been resolved. The thing is once there’s a day or two in disruption it takes about three to five days for normalcy to return. We have products and there is no cause for worry,” Soneye said.

    IPMAN National President, Abubakar Maigandi, explained to The Nation that the logistics problem involved the discharge of petrol from a mother vessel to the depots.

    “You know that the product is imported and it takes a while to discharge from the mother vessel to the Daughter vessel and to the depot.

    “That is where the problem emanated from and that has been rectified,” Maigandi said.

    He added: “The queues will not last. It should be cleared by this week. We met with the NNPCL and they explained the logistics issues they had.

    “But they have started supplies to their various depots and we are already receiving the products from some depots.

    “We expect that in the course of the week, the situation will further improve and there will be more supplies at the stations if things continue the way it is at the moment.”

    Although some of his association members upped pump prices, the IPMAN president, said: “NNPCL did not mention any price increase to us. If there will be a price increase, they would have communicated to us, but we asked them and they confirmed there is no plan for such.”

    Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Clement Isong, also said his members received petrol products throughout the weekend.

    Also confirming that the logistic problem had been resolved, Isong said there should be no need for panic if the queues at filling stations lengthened today.

    He said: “In a couple of days, the backlog will be cleared. What you are seeing is panic buying. Tomorrow (today), the lines may get longer at the filling stations as motorists try to fill up their tanks. But I advise that there is no need to worry because NNPCL has enough stock.

    “Normally, when you have situations like this (supply disruption) there will be backlogs to clear but we have been trucking and people need to calm down because there are supplies.

    ‘’I can tell you that Mobil and TotalEnergies worked throughout yesterday (Saturday); ConOil and MRS are all trucking right now.

    Read Also: Petrol scarcity worsens in FCT

    ‘So, the situation is not as bad as it appears. It will clear out in the course of the week.”

    When The Nation contacted the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for independent petroleum market data, a Senior Officer at its Corporate Service Unit, Seiyefa Osanebi, replied: “I can’t provide that right now.”

    Lagos

    Across the metropolis yesterday, petrol queues at filling stations like Mobil located along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, North West at Maryland and Gbagada, NIPCO  along Ijede Road, Ikorodu, and TotalEnergies at the NNPC bus stop in Ejigbo, stretched to about 500 metres from the pumps.

    Some motorists and other residents, who lamented the situation, said they had to resort to buying from black market operators.

    One Musa Lawal said he waited for over two hours at the Mobil filling station along the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway before deciding to look for an alternative.

    Another motorist, who gave his name simply as Lekan Balogun, returned without getting petrol to buy after waiting at NNPCL filling station in Ladipo, Mushin for over an hour.

    Oyo, Anambra, Kaduna, Niger, others

    The situation was the same in Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, and Jigawa states where petrol sold at above N760  at the stations that opened for business.

    In Akure, Ondo State, it sold for N685 and N730 per litre while in Ibadan, Oyo State, it was N730/N750.

    Chairman of IPMAN, Ore depot, Shina Amoo, accused the NNPCL of not selling petrol to IPMAN members.

    “The cause of the scarcity is what I have said earlier. The product is not available. We also do not have money to struggle with major marketers.”

    It was gathered that many of the independent marketers in Ibadan preferred to sell at odd hours at N750 per litre.

    The scarcity in Osun made Governor Ademola Adeleke to warn marketers against hoarding the product.

    Chairman of the Petroleum Monitoring Taskforce, Kazeem Akinleye, announced the warning.

    Akinleye said: “Most filling stations are hoarding petrol products, thereby worsening the fuel supply situation in the state.

    “The surveillance activities were conducted in major towns and the state capital in the last three days and it revealed deliberate hoarding of fuel to create artificial scarcity.”

    In Jos, the Plateau State capital, many car owners, who could not afford to buy the product at between N685 and N800 at official outlets parked their vehicles at home.

    But desperate motorists and other users who lacked the patience to wait endlessly at the stations turned to ‘black markets’ where they paid as much as N1,000 per litre.

    A motorist, Dominic Jude, said: “I had to park my car due to non-availability of fuel today (yesterday). The other day (Saturday), black market operators were selling at N800 per litre but today (yesterday) they sell for N1,000.’’

    In the Enugu metropolis, majority of the filling stations did not sell but the few that did dispensed at between N725 and N760 per litre.

    Only major marketers like Total, Enyo, Masters Energy, Rainoil, and Northwest dispensed the product to desperate motorists and domestic users at between N667 and N695 per litre. NNPC stations which maintained the price of N600 per litre, had long vehicular queues.   

    Some filling stations in Port Harcourt sold fuel between N700 to N720 per litre.

    “Many of the filling stations opened for business. But I  noticed a slight increase in the price of fuel.

    “For instance, I bought a litre at N705 at a filling station along Chinda Road in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area,” said a resident who gave his name simply as Christian.

    In Benin, Edo State, the few independent marketers that still had some stock sold a litre at N700.

    In Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, they sold at N920, and in Minna, Niger State at between N700 to N800.

    At black markets in Wushishi and Kontagora areas, a litre was as high as 790 to N1,000.

    The situation was worse in Kaduna where residents had to cough out between N1,200 and N1,300 for a litre at the black market.

    A former employee of the NNPCL and an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Kailani Muhammad, said the scarcity was caused by petroleum products marketers.

    Muhammad said: “Those behind this manufactured fuel scarcity should be fished out and sanctioned accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others. This country belongs to all of us. We must collectively work hard to salvage it together.”

    At some of the filling stations in Awka, Anambra State, the product sold at between N720 and N730 while at Umuahia and Aba in Abia State, it went for N700 and N740.

    At black markets in Katsina, the product also sold at N1,300 a litre.

  • BREAKING: Petrol scarcity hits FCT as NARTO stops lifting products

    BREAKING: Petrol scarcity hits FCT as NARTO stops lifting products

    Long queues resurfaced on Monday, February 19, at Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) halted tanker operations, citing unsustainable high costs.

    The association has notified the Federal Government and Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria of its plan to suspend operations. 

    Monitoring the petrol market on Monday morning, The Nation observed that most petrol stations have shutdown.

    Read Also: NARTO notifies NMDPRA, DSS, MEMAN on withdrawal of operations today

    The few Independent marketers who opened to customers dispensed the product for between N648 to N670 per litre.

    The few Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets that were opened sold the product for N617 per litre amid endless queues.

    Besides, black marketers sold 10 litres for N850 in plastic containers.

    Meanwhile, the NARTO President, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, who spoke with the Nation on phone confirmed that the enforcement of the suspension of operation has just begun.

    He said it will culminate in complete stoppage of the haulage of the product.

    Details shortly…