There is still a shortage of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, in many regions of Nigeria. As a result, black marketers are becoming more and more prevalent and are charging outrageous amounts for the product—in some places, as much as N1,200 per litre.
Many gas stations are still closed, according to reports from throughout the nation, and the lines at the gas stations are quite lengthy. Between N750 and N800 per litre, fuel is now being sold at some stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other states due to price increases. Longer lines are seen at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) stations, however the price per litre is N617.
Many drivers are stuck due to the shortage, and some locals are turning to long-distance hiking as a solution. While dispatch riders were delivering fuel to black marketers in Lagos, black marketers were observed selling petrol for N1,100 per litre in Jigawa State. In the impacted locations, including Akure and Abeokuta, transport rates have also gone up.
The scarcity has been ascribed by the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to a shortage of supplies at the majority of Lagos depots. The NNPCL has insisted, meanwhile, that the product is available and that things should get better soon.
READ ALSO: Diesel Price Rises By 50%. NBS Claims
After a protest by commercial motorcycle riders, elders and young people in the towns of Okuku and Ishibori in Cross River State closed down gas stations that were charging N1,200 per litre for the product. The proprietors of the stations said that they had to raise their pricing since the product was unavailable.
Some merchants at the Apapa terminal revealed to reporters that there has been a sharp decline in the volume of imports. They bemoaned the fact that trucks carrying goods into Abuja received preferential treatment at the expense of other places, particularly Lagos and nearby states.
They claimed that strict orders from higher authorities dictated that only trucks going to Abuja should be loaded. However, another marketer at the Apapa depot, going by the name Alhaji Kabibu, claimed that because trucks going to Abuja receive priority, the shortage of supplies in Lagos might get worse by Tuesday.
“Over 100 trucks have been loaded for Abuja by a specific depot here in Apapa that received 5,000 metric tonnes (200 trucks) of petrol on Thursday, but our trucks, which are intended to service Lagos outlets, have been waiting since Friday without any consideration for us.”
Black marketers in Lagos and Abuja are grinning from ear to ear as they sting drivers with exorbitant gas rates.
