The scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) in Abuja, Nasarawa, and other states is due to the non-supply by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), according to Billy Gillis-Harry, President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association (PETROAN). He discussed this issue in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Saturday, addressing the reappearance of fuel queues across Nigeria.
DAILY POST reports that fuel queues have returned in the nation’s capital and neighboring states like Nasarawa, causing motorists to scramble for petrol. For example, the NNPCL retail filling station along Kubwa Expressway experienced long queues on Friday, similar to Ranoil in Gwarimpa. Most filling stations along the Kubwa Expressway, Lugbe, and Airport Road were out of fuel on Saturday morning, as observed by DAILY POST.
Commenting on the situation, Gillis-Harry expressed frustration after visiting numerous filling stations without finding fuel. He explained that fuel marketers are unable to set prices because they do not import the product; instead, they sell based on the purchase cost. He emphasized that the scarcity is due to PETROAN members and other marketers not having any petrol to sell.
“Yesterday (Friday), I visited over fifteen filling stations in Abuja, including NNPCL retail outlets, but there was no product. If prices go up, it’s beyond our control. We sell based on the purchase price,” he said. “The lack of product is the reason for the scarcity. We can’t set prices because we don’t import fuel; NNPCL is the sole importer.”
Regarding the upcoming fuel supply from the Dangote refinery, scheduled to begin in mid-July 2024, Gillis-Harry remarked, “Dangote refinery hasn’t supplied any fuel yet, not even diesel. Meeting the deadline is a significant challenge for them. While we are proud of having a refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day in Nigeria, NNPCL can’t halt imports in anticipation of Dangote’s supply. Nigerians need PMS daily, and Dangote hasn’t produced a liter of PMS yet.”
Gillis-Harry highlighted the supply issues with NNPCL, which operates only a few filling stations compared to the numerous outlets run by PETROAN and other stakeholders nationwide. He urged NNPCL to address these supply challenges to prevent such situations from recurring.
When contacted, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye did not respond to calls or texts from DAILY POST. The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, advised calling him at noon on Saturday for further information.
This development coincides with the National Bureau of Statistics’ latest Petrol Price Watch, which reported that the average price of petrol per liter rose to N769.62 in May 2024.