While depots limited the amount of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) released to marketers on Monday, long lines for the fuel continued in numerous states, forcing several filling stations to close.
Many gas stations in the states of Abuja, Nigeria, and Nasarawa were closed, while the handful that were still operating showed varying lengths of gasoline lines.
NNPC and Conoil filling stations, located on the Kubwa end of the Kubwa-Zuba expressway in Abuja, had lengthy lineups of drivers on Monday when they tried to purchase gasoline. Numerous other establishments along the major road, such as Salbas, Gegu Oil, and Eterna, were shuttered and lacked merchandise.
According to the news gathered, in Niger State all three NNPC retail locations between Zuba and Madalla were shuttered. A.A. Rano, B.A. Bello, Total, A.Y. Maikifi, Major Oil, and Enyo were among the other businesses along the Zuba-Madalla axis of the expressway that were closed on Monday.
Massive lines formed on Monday at the single Mobil gas station in Madalla that was still pumping gasoline as a result of their closures.
Depot owners were still fighting a shortage of gasoline as long as the lines remained long. Additionally, it was noted that, on Monday, only the filling stations controlled by the main marketers provided fuel to customers, resulting in lengthy lines in several areas of Lagos and Ogun State.
It was noted that independent marketers’ retail locations were closed and secured since they could not obtain fuel supplies.
Vehicles were waiting in a long line to purchase gasoline at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail location in Iyana-Woro. In Lagos, the NNPC retail stores often charge less than N600 per litre for PMS; however, in Abuja and the surrounding areas, the price is N617 per litre.
Additionally, there were lengthy lines at the Heyden filling station on Iyana-Woro, MRS at Alapere, Conoil, TotalEnergies, and Mobil near Alahusa Secretariat, all of which were charging between N617 and N650 for a litre of PMS.
Drivers who were unable to wait in line said they were forced to buy from independent merchants, who charge between N700 and N900 per litre. Transport costs in Lagos and Ogun states increased as a result of the circumstance.
A depot operator, who begged to remain anonymous, says that the few depots that had the product on hand were rationing it on Monday.
By Monday, nothing had changed. The proprietors of the depot have begun to ration what little they own. The lack of product is the reason why depots are filling slowly, according to the source.
An additional insider suggested that the planned hunger protest could make matters worse and suggested that it could take up to a week to return to normal.
We will experience shortages through the weekend as a result of supply disruptions, which take at least a week to return to normal. It will get worse if truck movement is impeded during the protest, he continued.
It was learned that black marketers had subsequently exploited the circumstances, offering prices as high as N1,300 and N1,500 per liter in some areas of Ogun and Lagos states.
At gas stations in Lagos and Abuja, lengthy lines began to form on Friday and have continued ever since.
NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer Olufemi Soneye had stated, “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.”
“Working round the clock with all stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy in the operations,” the corporation continued.
Nevertheless, despite the NNPC’s pledge, things became worse when our journalists across the country discovered on Sunday that there were lengthy lines at a number of gas stations in key towns.
