IPMAN faults NNPCL for fuel scarcity, says ‘no supply anywhere’

• His comments come as fuel scarcity bites harder on Nigerians in Lagos, Federal Capital Territory Abuja, and other major cities.
• Recall that NNPCL said that it is working round the clock with stakeholders to solve current fuel scarcity caused by distribution challenges.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is sounding the alarm over a severe petrol shortage affecting its members nationwide.

With over 3,000 members and a significant presence in Nigeria’s fuel retail market, IPMAN is feeling the pinch of inadequate fuel supply.

According to IPMAN, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has fallen short in providing sufficient petroleum products to its members

This shortage has persisted for three years, leaving IPMAN members in a precarious situation.

IPMAN Chairman Shina Amoo, representing the Ore Depot, emphasized the gravity of the situation, highlighting the need for urgent action to address the fuel shortage and ensure a steady supply to IPMAN members.

Reacting to the situation, Amoo explained that fuel scarcity has been a recurring decimal because NNPCL stopped the supply of petrol to oil marketers in higher volume, which cannot go round their distribution channels.

“There is no supply anywhere. The available supply is poorly distributed. We have been raising concerns about this for a long time. We previously had an arrangement where we enjoyed a 70/30 supply ratio based on our capacity.

“Before now NNPCL gave oil marketers a higher volume of petrol, all of a sudden, they abandoned that pattern, prioritizing Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN and Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN.

“They are giving a small volume of the product, which cannot take care of petrol distribution either to urban or rural areas. We cannot even access the product.

“If NNPCL wants it to work and work well effectively, NNPCL can take a depot in Apapa or Oghara or anywhere and allow IPMAN access to petroleum products effectively.

“If we are picking from the depot, I can assure you that fuel scarcity of a thing will be zero in the next three to four days, because we will deliver the product to urban and rural areas,” he said.