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Fuel Shortage Persists Despite Arrival of Petrol Vessels at Lagos Ports

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 31st, 2024.

Fuel Shortage Persists Despite Arrival of Petrol Vessels at Lagos Ports

The ongoing fuel shortage in Nigeria shows no signs of easing, even as petrol vessels continue to dock at Lagos and other ports across the country.

On Tuesday, our correspondent observed that long queues persisted at filling stations in Abuja, Lagos, and other regions as many tanks remained empty.

Fuel dealers informed The FIRST CLASS GISTS that although petrol vessels are arriving at the ports, this influx may not be sufficient to alleviate the crisis. They reported that depot owners are currently supplying fuel primarily to their own filling stations due to limited stock.

“Depots are still experiencing inconsistent loading. They are prioritizing their own stations and leaving independent marketers without supply,” one dealer explained.

Another source noted, “The problem is not with the vessels arriving; rather, the frequency of their arrivals is inadequate to significantly reduce the queues. Apapa jetty, for instance, requires at least two vessels to unload simultaneously to make a meaningful impact, but currently, they are arriving one by one.”

The Nigerian Ports Authority reported that as of Tuesday, 16 ships were waiting to dock at Lagos ports. According to the ‘NPA Shipping Position’ briefing, two of these vessels are set to unload petrol, while another two are bringing bulk and butane gas.

The vessels are scheduled to dock at ENL Consortium, AMPT, Apapa Bulk, and Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd. terminals in Lagos. Currently, nine vessels are unloading various cargoes, including crude oil, diesel, containers, and gasoline oil at Lagos ports.

The FIRST CLASS GISTS noted that many petrol depots were out of fuel as of Sunday, causing widespread shortages and long queues in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Niger, and other states.

Black marketeers have exploited the shortage, with prices soaring to as much as N1,300 to N1,500 per litre in Lagos and Ogun states.

Fuel queues began to form in Abuja and Lagos on Friday and continue to grow. The NNPC Ltd has attributed the supply issues to disruptions in the discharge operations of some vessels and is working to resolve the problem and restore normalcy.

Despite these assurances, the situation remains dire, with increased transportation costs and many filling stations closed, a

ccording to The PUNCH.