Abuja, Lagos – Nigeria – Fuel scarcity has resurfaced in major cities in Nigeria, Lagos, Abuja and Ilorin with vehicles lining up at the few petrol stations that were open on Sunday and Monday. This situation arises despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) denies owing oil traders a $6.8 billion fuel subsidy debt, which some speculate is contributing to the supply issues.
As observed, some major roads in Lagos and Abuja were less congested, with many motorists unable to travel due to a lack of petrol. Even some NNPC-owned filling stations were completely closed, leaving some motorists waiting outside, hoping the stations would eventually reopen. Moreso, the few NNPC mega stations in Abuja sold petrol at the rate of 617 naira but with queues stretching several kilometres.
In several parts of Abuja, a 10-litre container of petrol was selling for as much as 12,000 naira on the black market. Meanwhile, private filling stations were selling petrol for prices ranging from 700 naira to 1,050 naira per litre, depending on the location. The fuel scarcity has caused a sharp increase in transport fares, with rates doubling on many routes within Abuja.
From the NNPC mega station on the Gwarimpa axis of the Zuba-Kubwa Expressway to Conoil and Total filling stations opposite the national oil company’s headquarters in Abuja city center, as well as Salbas filling station at the Dei-Dei end of the Zuba-Kubwa expressway, the situation was the same: long queues or no fuel available.
In the same vein, only the two NNPC mega stations on Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, were selling petrol, but with heavy queues of desperate motorists and jerry-can buyers, leading to significant traffic gridlock on the busy road.
Meanwhile, the NNPCL has attributed the petrol scarcity in the nation’s capital and Lagos to distribution challenges. The company stated that it is working tirelessly to resolve these issues before midweek. In a statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, NNPCL, the sole importer of petrol in Nigeria, assured that it is collaborating with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to restore normalcy. The situation remains critical as fuel scarcity continues to worsen across the country.
