Poor security attributed to fuel scarcity in Nigeria

The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN, ) Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir  has blamed the fuel scarcity across the country on
 the continued lack of adequate security for petroleum marketers.

Abdulkadir told newsmen in Abuja that some members of his association suspended the lifting of fuel from refineries due to insecurity of their trucks.

He said the current scarcity being experienced in some parts of Nigeria should not be seen as a “serious crisis” as it would be resolved as soon as the safety of their trucks are guaranteed.

 “It is the offshoot of what we experienced during the elections. The true position is that during the election there were some pockets of crisis leading to the burning of some trucks. Now, we feel that our trucks are no longer safe and since then, there has been a contraction in supply of the products,” Abdulkadir said.


For about five days now, fuel queues have been springing up in all the filling stations within and outside the Federal Capital Territory due to shortage of supply by the marketers.

Abdulkadir, who confirmed the availability of enough petroleum products in the country, explained that the IPMAN would Thursday meet with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis.

He said: “We have been communicating with NNPC and others on the issue and solution will come out soon. The issue at stake is enough to make people panic.”
The IPMAN boss also identified the rising cost of diesel as one of the major frustrations being faced by the marketers, although he said members of the association were already working hard to source diesel for the onward movement of products in Nigeria.


“Diesel is said to be deregulated. Now we buy diesel for N190 and this has eroded government’s directive that the transport freight be reviewed.

"The truth of the matter is that there is enough products in the coastal area but the only problem is how to transport them to the depots. We have our own challenges and NNPC too has its own challenges, but we are working to ensure that the little problem is resolved as soon as possible,” he added.


Abdulkadir noted that for restoration of the vandalized pipelines so that products could move to the inland depots.

 “Let the pipelines be restored and there should be integrity of the pipelines. They should be checked and replaced so that all the PPMC depots can have supply,” he said.

Culled from AfricanOutlook