Fuel scarcity bites harder across Nigeria as marketers run out of stock amid slump in imports

Fuel scarcity is worsening across Nigeria as fuel marketers struggle with depleted stock levels due to a sharp decline in imports.

On Monday, long queues were observed at several filling stations in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, with fuel prices ranging between N950 and N1,000 per litre. In Delta State, cities like Warri and Effurun saw a shortage of fuel, leading to long lines at the few stations that had stock. Black marketers took advantage of the situation, selling fuel in jerry cans for N1,000 to N1,100 per litre.

In Akwa Ibom State, NNPC mega stations sold fuel at N595 to N600 per litre, while independent marketers charged between N970 and N1,000 per litre. Similarly, in Cross River, independent marketers sold fuel for N1,000 per litre without queues, while other stations priced it between N870 and N900 per litre.

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Abia State experienced minimal queues as fuel sold above N1,000 per litre, forcing many private vehicle owners to opt for commercial transportation. In Imo, most stations sold fuel for N970 per litre, while NNPC stations offered it at N595. Meanwhile, in Ebonyi, the price soared to N1,050 per litre in the capital, Abakaliki, with buyers seemingly unfazed by the rising costs.

In Edo State, motorists camped overnight at NNPC mega stations to buy fuel at N591 per litre, as independent marketers in the metropolis sold it for N950 per litre. The situation was exacerbated by a lack of fuel at major marketers’ stations like Mobil, Total, and Ardova Petroleum, which typically sold for N695 to N699 per litre.

Rivers State saw long queues at NNPC and Mobil stations, where fuel was priced at N700 and N750 per litre, respectively, while independent marketers sold it for N950 to N1,000 per litre. On the outskirts of Port Harcourt, prices ranged from N980 to N1,100 per litre.

In Anambra, fuel prices exceeded N990 per litre at most petrol stations, with NNPC mega stations offering it below N990 amid long queues. This has led to a 50% increase in transportation fares, straining commuters.

In the North, fuel scarcity has significantly impacted socio-economic activities over the past two months. In Kaduna State, long queues were reported at the few stations with available fuel, with prices ranging from N620 per litre at NNPC stations to N950-N1,300 per litre at independent marketers.

A similar scenario unfolded in Kano, where independent marketers sold fuel for N980 to N1,000 per litre, and black marketers charged between N1,400 and N1,600 per litre. In Plateau State, transport fares have risen by at least 20% due to the fuel scarcity, with prices at petrol stations in Jos ranging between N900 and N950 per litre.

In Kwara State, the fuel crisis worsened, with prices reaching N1,000 per litre in Ilorin. NNPC stations sold fuel for N580 per litre, while independent marketers charged between N800 and N1,000 per litre.

Yola, the Adamawa State capital, saw most filling stations empty, with pump prices jumping to N1,000 per litre. In Zamfara State, fuel prices ranged from N900 to N950 per litre, with no queues reported.

In Lafia, Nasarawa State, fuel prices ranged from N930 to N950 per litre amid scarcity, while in Benue State, pump prices ranged from N950 to N980 per litre, with free vehicular movement observed at stations in Makurdi.

Sokoto continued to face scarcity, with fuel selling for N980 to N990 per litre at most stations, while NNPC offered it at N620 per litre. Long queues persisted at NNPC outlets in Damaturu, Yobe State, where fuel was priced at N637 per litre, while independent marketers sold it for N980 to N1,000 per litre.

In Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, queues were reduced as Mobil sold fuel for N680 per litre, while most stations adjusted their prices to N900 and N950 per litre.

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Parts of the southwest also experienced long queues, with prices varying widely. In Ondo State, some stations sold fuel between N660 and N700 per litre, while others charged N850, N960, and N1,000, with the higher prices eliminating the need for queues.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited had informed oil marketers about the financial strain regarding the importation of petrol.

This raised concerns among dealers, who expressed worry over the possibility of a halt in the importation of petrol by NNPC.

NNPC’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, had earlier declared that the national oil company was facing financial strain. NNPC is the sole importer of PMS into Nigeria, shouldering subsidies on the commodity running into several trillions of naira.

“NNPC Ltd faces financial strain due to PMS supply costs, impacting supply sustainability. NNPC Ltd has acknowledged recent reports in national newspapers regarding the company’s significant debt to petrol suppliers. This financial strain has placed considerable pressure on the company and poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply.

“In line with the Petroleum Industry Act, NNPC Ltd remains dedicated to its role as the supplier of last resort, ensuring national energy security. We are actively collaborating with relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to maintain a consistent supply of petroleum products nationwide,” Soneye stated on Sunday.

Marketers said officials from the oil company had informed petrol dealers of the development, stressing that this may further lead to a hike in the pump prices of petrol in the coming weeks.

“Now, only NNPC Trading imports petrol, and they have come out frankly to inform marketers that they can no longer sustain it, which means they are subsidising the product all this while,” the National Publicity Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ukadike Chinedu, stated.

“Of course, the cost of petrol at the pumps may rise further in the coming weeks because up till now we are not getting enough products. So, something urgent and drastic needs to be done to tackle this challenge now.”

The spokesperson of the NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, argued last week that the petrol price reports the regulator gets from its officials at the depots were different.

“Our depot people see a different price because we ask them to publish the prices at the depots every day and it is not N850/litre. Our field agents at the depots give us a different figure,” he said.

When told that some filling stations operated by independent marketers in Lagos and many other states dispensed their products for as high as N900 and N1,000/litre, the NMDPRA official said such outlets would be brought to book if apprehended.

“If we get these outlets, all we do is to try and shut them down, because NNPC is the company that brings in the product and they tell us how much they sell as their ex-depot prices to off-takers. And we sit down together and work out the margins and there is no way it should be that high,” Ene-Ita added.

The NMDPRA spokesman further noted that there was no way the agency could reconcile the high cost of petrol sold by independent marketers.

“Once we get these outlets, we are going to shut them down. NNPC tells us how much they sell and there is no way the pump prices should be that high. We don’t expect it to be higher than N650/litre,” he warned.

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