The House of Representatives has decided to investigate why there are fuel shortages again in parts of Nigeria.
This decision follows an urgent motion by Honourable Billy Osawuru.
The investigation will look into several issues, including the granting of licences to import petrol, the importation of low-quality petroleum products, and the failures of regulatory bodies.
The House wants to understand why fuel shortages keep happening despite repeated promises from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and petroleum marketers that the issue would be resolved.
On Monday, some states in Nigeria experienced a resurgence of petrol scarcity. Reacting to this, the NNPCL explained that the fuel queues were due to a recent thunderstorm disrupting the transfer of petrol from large ships to smaller ships.
This disruption affected the supply chain, including berthing at jetties, truck load-outs, and the transportation of petrol to filling stations.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, stated, “The fuel queues seen in the FCT and some parts of the country were as a result of disruption of ship-to-ship transfer of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels resulting from a recent thunderstorm.”
He added, “The adverse weather condition has also affected berthing at jetties, truck load-outs, and transportation of products to filling stations, causing a disruption in station supply logistics.”
Soneye also mentioned that safety regulations from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency prevent loading petrol during rainstorms and lightning because of the flammability of petroleum products. He said, “Adherence to these regulations is mandatory as any deviation could pose severe danger to the trucks, filling stations, and human lives.”
The fuel shortage has led to long queues and high prices, with some places selling petrol for as much as ₦900 per litre. Private depot owners have also increased the ex-depot price from ₦630 to ₦720 per litre.
The NNPCL is working with relevant stakeholders to resolve these logistics issues and restore a smooth supply of petrol. Loading has started in areas where the challenges have lessened, and the company hopes the situation will improve in the coming days.
The NNPCL also advised motorists not to panic buy or hoard petrol, as they are working to ensure a steady supply.
