Petrol scarcity struck various parts of Nigeria on Tuesday, forcing motorists to queue for hours at filling stations in Lagos and Abuja.
In many parts of the country, black marketers had a field day, selling a litre of fuel for N300-N400.
Many motorists in Abuja and Lagos, in particular, were forced to patronize them because the unpalatable alternative was to wait for hours in filling stations.
In Lagos, amid long lines and long waits, some filling stations sold a litre of Premium Motor Spirit for N200, as opposed to the approved price of N180-N185/litre.
Earlier on Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that some filling stations, particularly independent marketers, did not have product to sell to motorists and other consumers, while those with commercial stocks raised their prices by N200 to N250 per litre, depending on location.
Mr. Mike Osatuyi, National Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, confirmed the development and blamed the scarcity on unsteady supply in recent days.
He had stated that as a result of the erratic supply, depot prices in Lagos and its environs had risen to between N175 and N180 per litre.
He said; “The situation has culminated in higher prices at the depots. Our members, who find it difficult to get the product, pay between N175 – N185 per litre. Consequently, we are compelled to sell at higher prices in order to cover cost.”
Debo Ahmed, President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), blamed the petrol scarcity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs on a supply gap caused by the blockade.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, previously stated that the current fuel scarcity in Abuja and other surrounding states is caused by fuel trucks’ inability to access Lokoja roads.
According to the regulatory body, the roads were flooded.
The agency, however, assured that there was sufficient fuel stock and thus urged members of the public to avoid panic buying while all efforts were made to resolve fuel shortages in some filling stations in Abuja and its environs.
According to a statement from the agency, the Lokoja flooding had impacted the distribution of petroleum products to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and environs because water had submerged a greater part of Lokoja city and grounded all vehicular movements, adding that “trucking via alternative routes is currently ongoing” as part of measures to mitigate the situation.
However, even after the flood receded, the petroleum product remained scarce in Abuja and its environs.
In a statement, IPMAN’s president attributed the current scarcity to a break in product supply, emphasizing that there was plenty of product in the depots.
“They (suppliers) have to up their load from the depots to meet up because as it is coming, people are buying. A lot of people are thinking there is still the issue (scarcity) so they will queue. It is not that there is no product, there is a lot of product in the depots. So, it is because of the break in supply of the product that is still causing the scarcity,” he noted.