Motorists in some areas of Lagos State were spotted in the queues that snaked into the streets. The development caused gridlock around filling stations. While major roads in the state were empty because motorists did not have petrol to move around.
A litre of the product now sells for between N800-N1,000 in some filling stations, a move that has increased the cost of transportation
Some filling stations are not selling the product, while black marketers have taken advantage of the situation to do brisk business.
The situation is not limited to Lagos. Some states in the northern region have experienced persistent scarcity of the product.
But in a bid to tackle the situation, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), threatened to withdraw licenses of filling stations hoarding fuel.
“NMDPRA embarks on a war against the illegal sale of petroleum products, especially PMS in jerrycans. Filling stations are advised to desist from servicing illegal peddlers; failure to do so would result in the suspension of retail licences,” the agency said in a tweet on its handle.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) last month blamed the scarcity of petroleum on a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of 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,” NNPCL spokesman Olufemi Soneye said.
But he assured Nigerians that the NNPCL is working to resolve the situation.
Additionally, he said, “consequent flooding of truck routes has limited the movement of PMS from the coastal corridors to the Federal Capital, Abuja.”
Fuel Scarcity in 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 at different stations.
