Economic Hardship: Fuel Scarcity Looms As NARTO Withdraws Services Nationwide

A looming fuel scarcity could be on the horizon in Nigeria as the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) announces the cessation of its services nationwide on Monday, February 19, citing economic hardships stemming from high operational costs and low freight rates.

In a letter dated February 15, addressed to the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), NARTO’s national President, Othman Yusuf, highlighted the association’s decision to halt operations due to the exorbitant operational expenses within the industry.

The association’s announcement, titled ‘Notice of withdrawal of operation,’ was dispatched not only to NUPENG but also to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the State Security Services (SSS), and the executive secretary of the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (NEMAN).

NARTO, representing all commercial vehicle owners engaged in the transportation of petroleum products, general cargoes, and passenger movement within Nigeria and the broader West Africa sub-region, emphasized the potential repercussions of its operational suspension on the distribution of petrol and diesel across the nation, warning of a sectoral crisis.

Expressing deep concern over the escalating cost of diesel required for its trucks’ operations, particularly in transporting petroleum products nationwide, NARTO underscored the untenable nature of continuing business operations amidst the prevailing economic conditions.

The association implored its members to fully cooperate with its collective efforts aimed at sustaining the petroleum haulage business and ensuring effective service delivery by promptly adhering to the directive to withhold their petroleum trucks from loading activities effective February 19, 2024.

In a separate development, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, discredited a viral video allegedly depicting protests outside his palace amid Nigeria’s current economic hardships. The Emir’s spokesman clarified that the video, purportedly from 2019, does not reflect the present circumstances and urged the public to maintain peace and unity.