Oil marketers have said they do not have details of the logistic challenges that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) claimed are responsible for the current low supply of products nationwide.
Fresh petrol scarcity resurfaced on Wednesday last week, and has worsened, leaving Nigerians to grapple with the effects of the development. The scarcity has since driven up prices in Lagos to as high as ₦800 per litre at some stations belonging to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and as high as ₦1200 per litre at the black market. Before the scarcity, petrol was sold at around ₦610 per litre at stations belonging to the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN).
Some filling stations sell petrol for as high as N850 to ₦900 per litre in locations such as Maryland, Ikeja, Agege, Iyana Ipaja, and other outskirts of Lagos. In some states, the product sells for more than ₦1,000 per litre at filling stations. Even at that rate, most filling stations have since shut their doors due to lack of products. The NNPCL blamed the development on logistics challenges. Spokesperson for the company Olufemi Soneye said in a statement last week that the challenges have been resolved.
Almost a week later, oil marketers have said they are in the dark about the nature of those challenges. The marketers also dismissed claims that they were hoarding the products.
