The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to oil marketers involved in hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, amid worsening fuel shortages across the country. The government has threatened to revoke the operating licences of those found complicit.
On Friday, long queues persisted at fuel stations in Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and several other states, with many stations closed due to a lack of supply. In Abuja’s Kado area, some stations, such as AA Rano, were selling petrol at ₦849 per litre, while others remained shut.
The scarcity has left motorists frustrated, with many spending hours in queues to secure fuel. Matthew, a taxi driver waiting at an NNPC station, lamented the hardships brought by the crisis. “It’s been a real headache. I have to work one day just to get fuel and another day to do my actual job. We’re struggling in our own country, and it’s frustrating,” he said, calling on the government to find a lasting solution.
In response to the nationwide shortages, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) warned that any filling stations caught hoarding fuel or selling to black marketers in jerrycans would face severe penalties, including the revocation of their licences. Ogbugo Ukoha, the Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure at NMDPRA, emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance policy during an inspection tour in Abuja.
“You need to take this (warning) very seriously,” Ukoha told the managers of a TotalEnergies station, adding that retail stations should cease selling to black marketers due to the associated safety risks.
The NMDPRA reiterated this stance on its official X handle, declaring a “war against the illegal sale of petroleum products” and advising filling stations to avoid selling to unauthorized peddlers.
Despite these warnings, the fuel scarcity continues to grip the nation. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been struggling to import sufficient petrol to meet demand. Depot owners have reportedly raised prices, with marketers eager to purchase at any cost, knowing that desperate consumers will still buy.
NNPC spokesperson Olufemi Soneye had previously attributed the fuel shortages in Abuja and Lagos to delays in the discharge operations of vessels. He assured that efforts were underway to resolve the situation, but weeks later, the shortages persist.
Earlier, on July 8, NNPC also blamed bad weather for disrupting the ship-to-ship transfer of PMS and other logistics. The adverse conditions, including thunderstorms, reportedly affected the berthing of ships at jetties and the transportation of fuel to filling stations.
A Reuters report revealed that NNPC is facing financial difficulties, with debts to PMS suppliers exceeding $6 billion. The company’s late payments have reportedly forced some suppliers to halt deliveries until outstanding payments are made. However, NNPC has denied these allegations.
Meanwhile, the situation remains dire across the country. In Ebonyi State, petrol prices surged to between ₦1,000 and ₦1,050 per litre on Friday, with similar spikes reported in Gombe, Katsina, Plateau, Yobe, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Bauchi states. Long queues and fuel unavailability have left motorists stranded, exacerbating the economic and social strain on Nigerians.
