Nigeria’s Fuel Crisis Deepens Despite Arrival Of Petrol Vessels

The ongoing fuel crisis in Nigeria shows no signs of abating, despite the arrival of petrol vessels at Lagos and other ports across the country.

On Tuesday, long queues persisted at filling stations in Abuja, Lagos, and other regions as fuel supplies remained critically low.

Petrol dealers who spoke to The PUNCH disclosed that while vessels are arriving at ports, the rate of unloading is insufficient to address the shortage.

Depot owners are prioritizing their stations, leaving independent marketers without supplies.

“The depots are not wet yet. We are still doing epileptic loading. No product for third parties. That is, the depots are prioritizing their own stations,” one dealer said.

This preference for their own stations is a common practice among depot operators to maintain customer loyalty, leaving independent marketers struggling to source fuel.

Another industry source noted that the pace of vessel arrivals and unloading at ports like Apapa jetty is inadequate to meet demand.

“It’s not that vessels are not berthing, but the rate cannot meet the expected loading to reduce queues. We need to double up. Apapa jetty alone needs at least two vessels discharging simultaneously, but the vessels are coming one after the other and that cannot solve the pending problem,” the source said.

According to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), 16 ships were awaiting to berth at Lagos ports as of Tuesday.

The NPA stated that two vessels carrying petrol and two with bulk and butane gas were scheduled to dock.

Currently, nine vessels are discharging crude oil, diesel, gasoline oil, and other cargoes at various ports in Lagos.

Naija News reports that the fuel scarcity has led to widespread disruptions, with many petrol depots dry as of Sunday.

This has resulted in long queues at filling stations in Lagos, Ogun, parts of Abuja, Niger, and other states.

Black marketers have capitalized on the situation, selling petrol at exorbitant prices of N1,300 to N1,500 per litre in Lagos and Ogun states.

The NNPC Ltd attributed the fuel supply issues to a hitch in the discharge operations of several vessels.

“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,” stated Olufemi Soneye, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer.

The NNPC assured that it is working around the clock with stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy.

Despite these assurances, the fuel crisis continues, affecting transportation costs as many filling stations remain closed.