Fuel Scarcity Hits Nigerian Capital, Abuja As Oil Marketers Blame Rainfall, Flooded Roads

Fuel queues returned to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday as petroleum marketers attributed the shortage of petroleum products to the heavy rains and thunderstorms. 

SaharaReporters observed fuel queues around the Jabi, Lugbe and Kubwa areas, as motorists crowded around filling stations as of the time of visit. 

"There has been no fuel since Thursday. Most filling stations I tried in Gwarinpa and along the Kubwa Expressway are under lock. They are selling in Jabi here but you can see the queue. Hr government should resolve this issue quickly," a motorist, Ibrahim Bako, told SaharaReporters.  

Meanwhile, the Major Energy Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) blamed the situation on supply chain disruption. 

The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association (IPMAN), Alhaji Abubakar Migandi said he had been inundated with reports of scarcity especially in Abuja, saying he was yet to be properly briefed on the cause of the crisis.

 
Also, the Executive Secretary of Major Energy Marketers’ Association (MEMAN), Clement Isong in a chat with our correspondent blamed the scarcity on supply chain disruption.

He said the recent rainfall across the country, especially in Lagos, made it difficult for trucks to lift products, saying there was a thunderstorm at the depots.

He said, “The supply chain is slower when there is a thunderstorm. 24-hour supply chain disruption means that the stations are dry. During the rainy season, the trucks drive more slowly, they also get stuck when the roads are flooded.”

He however assured that the queues would disappear in a few days’ time, adding, “There is product in Lagos, the product is coming and the product is moving.”