The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has assured Nigerians that the ongoing fuel scarcity and queues will be cleared on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

The NNPCL gave the assurance via a statement issued by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, on Tuesday, April 30.

Soneye noted that the NNPCL currently has an availability of petrol exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days.

He added: “Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

“However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

“Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximize profits.

Lagos residents groan as fuel scarcity bites hard

“Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain

“The lines will be cleared out between today and tomorrow.”

Also speaking on the development, the National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (lPMAN), Hammed Fashola, expressed hope that the queues in Lagos and Ogun states would ease off this week, relying on the words of the NNPCL.

Fashola, however, stated that the queues in Abuja might tarry a bit due to the distance to Lagos.

He said: “The information available to us from the NNPCL was that there was a logistics problem, and when that happens, it will disrupt the supply chain.

“That might be a delay in the movement of ships from the mother vessel to the daughter vessel before it gets to the depot tanks.

“Before we can correct that, surely it will take some days. I think by Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be more products available for lifting by marketers.

“It might take time before it can ease off in Abuja, considering the distance to Lagos and the bad roads; Lagos might be calm this new week.”

Stranded motorists and commuters, on Monday, expressed concern over frequent fuel scarcity in Lagos.

This has resulted in a few commercial vehicles, which led to a hike in fares.

The situation within Lagos metropolis showed that only a few filling stations were selling, with long queues in most parts.

The Star