Fuel prices in Nigeria have skyrocketed to N1,500 per litre, driven by reports of drying depots across the nation. This surge is a result of ongoing disruptions in the petroleum supply chain and distribution network.
Starting on Friday, long queues began forming at fuel stations in Lagos, Abuja, and other states, showing no signs of abating soon.
On Saturday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) addressed the fuel shortages and extensive queues through their X account, attributing the issue to a disruption in the discharge operations of a few vessels.
“The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT is a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” said Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer.
The company assured the public that it is “working round the clock with all stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy in the operations.”
Hammed Fashola, the National Vice-President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, expressed his surprise at the sudden scarcity. “We, marketers, too are surprised that we couldn’t get fuel as we used to get at depots. We were worried too; we didn’t know the cause until the NNPC came out with a release on Saturday. Let’s just believe what the NNPC said, that they would arrest the situation,” Fashola said.
He highlighted the challenges faced by independent marketers, stating, “That is why independent marketers sell around N800 or so. Until we address this issue of direct supply, there will be issues. We keep shouting to the NNPC to look at that area properly because something is fundamentally wrong with our distribution channel and until they correct that, we will continue to have this issue of fuel scarcity.”
Around the Lekki-Epe expressway, many fuel stations remained closed, while the few that were open saw long queues of vehicles and people with jerrycans. The fuel queues have led to significant traffic gridlock on the expressway, causing motorists to spend extra hours reaching their destinations.
