The persistent petrol scarcity in Lagos and Ogun states has created a lucrative environment for black marketers, exploiting the situation to make exorbitant profits. Residents of both states are grappling with long queues at petrol stations and, in some cases, empty fuel tanks, as the scarcity continues to bite.
As the crisis deepens, black marketers have seized the opportunity to sell petrol at exorbitant prices, often doubling or tripling the official pump price. This has placed a significant financial burden on commuters, businesses, and households.
On Saturday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) attributed the fuel supply and distribution challenges to issues in the discharge operations of several vessels.
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Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s chief corporate communications officer, stated, “The NNPC wishes to clarify that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution observed in parts of Lagos and the FCT is due to a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.”
NNPC further assured the public that it collaborates with stakeholders to address the situation and restore normal operations.
Despite these assurances, conditions deteriorated over the weekend, with correspondents reporting extensive queues at multiple filling stations nationwide by Sunday.
In Lagos, only one of three NNPC retail outlets dispensed fuel along Ogunnusi Road at Ojodu Berger. Similarly, only two stations—Mobil Oil at Alausa Secretariat and Heyden at Alapere—had petrol available between the Berger and Anthony Oke bus stops.
In Ogun State’s border towns of Alagbole and Akute, the sole NNPC outlet struggled to meet the demand of a long line of vehicles.
NNPC stations in Lagos and Ogun maintained prices of N568 and N580 per litre, respectively, while independent marketers’ stations priced petrol as high as N900 per litre.
At AMUF Oil in Ojodu, petrol was sold at N850 per litre, reflecting the steep price hikes driven by the shortage.
Black market operators exploit the scarcity, selling petrol at N1,500 per litre at Mobil station in Ikeja and N1,800 per litre in Ojota.
This situation has forced many private vehicle owners to remain at home, leaving commuters stranded at bus stops, while the few operating commercial buses have significantly increased fares by up to 150 per cent.
Read also: We are fixing vessels discharge hitches causing fuel scarcity, says NNPC
Mohammed Shuaibu, the Secretary of the Abuja/Suleja chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), confirmed the scarcity and highlighted that some stations might not have fuel due to unavailability, while others were closing to avoid potential losses from the proposed protest.
“I am in Lokoja (Kogi State) and many filling stations are not dispensing petrol. This is concerning as we recently recovered from fuel queues in major cities, primarily due to a drop in supply from NNPC,” Shuaibu noted.
Clement Isong, the executive secretary of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), attributed the crisis to supply issues from the high seas, noting that the disruption in loading operations began last Wednesday due to a product shortage.
However, Isong assured that efforts were underway to resolve the supply chain disruptions.
