President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, has attributed the current scarcity of fuel products in parts of Nigeria to poor road conditions and an ineffective railway system. Osifo, who also serves as the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), criticized the government for failing to address these longstanding issues.
In his remarks at the PENGASSAN Women Annual Convention in Abuja on Tuesday, Osifo argued that the government’s inaction has exacerbated the fuel scarcity crisis. Despite the recent increase in fuel prices due to the removal of subsidies, which was expected to stabilize the market, fuel queues have reappeared in major cities across the country.
Osifo explained that the challenges in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector are largely due to inadequate infrastructure. He pointed out that many truck drivers face difficulties transporting fuel products from major oil depots because of the deteriorated state of the roads. He compared this situation to practices in more advanced countries where rail systems are utilized for the transportation of fuel products, emphasizing that Nigeria lags in this aspect.
He said, “See we will continuously have perennial scarcity of fuel until we do what is right, which is to say there is no silver bullet today that is going to end the scarcity of fuel that will come periodically.”
Osifo highlighted specific examples of road infrastructure problems, such as the Aviele-Auchi road, which he said has been rendered nearly impassable. He lamented the lack of technology-driven solutions like pipelines and rail systems that are commonly used in other countries for fuel distribution.
The PENGASSAN President further warned that unless the Federal Government addresses the fundamental issues related to the oil and gas value chain, the scarcity of fuel will persist. He emphasized the need for technological advancements and better logistical strategies to manage the country’s fuel distribution network.
Osifo concluded, “We must be able to deepen the facilities of the oil and gas logistics because if we don’t do that, perennially we would have these challenges.”
