Queues for Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, cleared unexpectedly in many areas of Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, and other states on Wednesday. This change followed the release of approximately 67 million litres of PMS by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to marketers. Major filling stations, which had previously experienced heavy queues, were observed dispensing petrol to vehicles without any lines on Wednesday. This improvement in availability came as the NNPC disclosed that some of its daily supply of PMS was being smuggled to neighboring countries, not only by trucks but also through marine vessels.
On the busy Kubwa-Zuba Expressway, outlets such as Nipco, NNPC, and Salbas were seen serving motorists without queues, a stark contrast to the situation on Tuesday. Similarly, filling stations in Nyanya, Nasarawa State, and Zuba, Niger State, were able to sell petrol to customers without any queues on Wednesday, unlike the previous day when only a few stations were operational. During a meeting with stakeholders in Abuja, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, explained the fuel supply situation in the country since January 2022. He stated, “Anytime we go down below 60 million litres of evacuation consistently for more than three days, we’ll have a crisis across the country.”
Kyari acknowledged that while there may not be a reliable consumption figure, the evacuation figure is crucial. He noted that when evacuation figures drop below 60 million litres daily, a crisis ensues. He recalled that in early 2022, the average evacuation fell to 56 million litres due to contaminated fuel, leading to a crisis that required intervention to restore normalcy. He also mentioned that during the flooding in October, evacuation figures dipped below 60 million litres, resulting in significant challenges.
Since then, NNPC has made efforts to maintain supply levels above 60 million litres consistently, emphasizing that there is no shortage of fuel in the market; rather, products may simply be in the wrong locations. Kyari pointed out that fuel smuggling to other countries is a significant issue, stating, “This is not a secret. But it can only be done by either all of us in this room or people buying from us.” He confirmed that evidence exists of some customers transporting Nigerian fuel to other countries, and he assured that the relevant government security agencies would address this issue.
Kyari further explained that cross-border smuggling, whether through round-tripping or other means, contributes to the challenges faced in the domestic market. He clarified that the 66 or 67 million litres reported includes volumes lost to smuggling, indicating that failure to meet the demands of these external markets directly impacts the domestic supply. This situation reflects the complex realities that the NNPC is currently navigating.
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