Long lines for petrol appeared in Abuja and parts of Niger and Nasarawa States on Friday.
Beyond Boders learned that many filling stations closed because independent marketers could not get petrol after private depots raised the price to N710 per litre.
Drivers rushed to the few stations that still sold petrol, especially those run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and major oil marketers in Abuja and nearby states.
This caused long queues at stations like the NNPC mega station on Gwarimpa Road, Conoil and Total stations near NNPC headquarters, and Salbas station on the Zuba-Kubwa expressway.
Independent oil marketers, who run over 70% of the country’s filling stations, blamed the high depot price.
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Abubakar Maigandi, President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said private depots now sell petrol at N710 per litre, while NNPC stations sell it at N617 per litre.
Maigandi explained, “It has been very difficult for independent petroleum marketers to get the product and sell it in Abuja and neighbouring states, as well as in other states in the North. When we buy it at the rate of N710/litre, we have to add transportation cost again because there is no equalisation.”
Maigandi also mentioned that independent marketers are trying to get more petrol directly from NNPC, but the supply is still too small. “We are requesting additional volumes because, in Abuja alone, we have over 250 retail outlets belonging to IPMAN members.”
He noted that the long queues are mainly in cities where NNPC stations sell cheaper petrol. In remote villages, there are no queues because there are fewer stations.
Maigandi assured that there is no shortage of petrol in the country. The queues are due to market price issues.
Officials at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources confirmed that there is enough petrol and that the market is deregulated, meaning prices depend on demand and supply.
An NNPC official also promised that the queues would disappear soon because they have enough petrol in stock.
