Despite assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that logistic issues causing fuel scarcity had been resolved, Nigerians in Lagos and other parts of the country continue to face challenges in accessing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as many filling stations remain closed.
Reports gathered independently by The PUNCH reveal that the situation may worsen in Lagos and other parts of the South-West due to a directive from the NNPCL prioritizing fuel distribution to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over other regions.
According to officials of the NNPCL and marketers, there is a directive for fuel trucks to first service Abuja before other parts of the country, leading to a shortage of supply in Lagos and surrounding areas.
An anonymous official disclosed, “Because of the scarcity, there are directives that the product should be rationed. Depots now get about 220 trucks, which is half of what they usually get.”
The erratic supply has been attributed to the NNPCL’s inability to import enough fuel at the moment. “The cause of the erratic supply is because the NNPCL does not have enough fuel imported,” explained an operator.
The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, expressed hope that the queues in Lagos and Ogun would ease off between Monday and Wednesday, but cautioned that the queues in Abuja might persist due to the distance from Lagos and challenges with transportation infrastructure.
“The information available to us from the NNPCL was that there was a logistics problem, and when that happens, it will disrupt the supply chain. That might be a delay in the movement of ships from the mother vessel to the daughter vessel before it gets to the depot tanks. Before we can correct that, surely it will take some days. I think by Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be more products available for lifting by marketers. It might take time before it can ease off in Abuja, considering the distance to Lagos and the bad roads; Lagos might be calm this new week,” Fashola assured.