Fresh queues have emerged in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), causing motorists to spend hours waiting to purchase Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. The situation has worsened due to the closure of many filling stations operated by independent marketers.
Reports on Tuesday evening indicated that numerous filling stations in Abuja remained closed, while the few that dispensed fuel, primarily those run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and some major oil marketers, were inundated with long lines of waiting vehicles.
Notable locations experiencing heavy traffic included the NNPC mega station on the Katampe axis of the Zuba-Kubwa Expressway, the AP station on Aguiyi Ironsi Street in the city center, and the NIPCO filling station along the Zuba-Kubwa expressway.
As a result of the fuel scarcity, many residents found themselves stranded at various bus stops, while the crisis has inadvertently created a lucrative market for black marketers, who are taking advantage of the situation to charge exorbitant prices for petrol.
According to sources, members of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) have lifted over 50 million liters of PMS from the Dangote Refinery in the past week. During a webinar on Tuesday, Huub Stokman, Chairman of MEMAN, confirmed that major marketers have commenced loading the product from the refinery.
However, he did not disclose whether the marketers were sourcing directly from Dangote or from supplies acquired by the NNPCL.
Stokman stated, “I can tell you that we have started loading PMS from Dangote refinery. Our members have lifted millions of liters from Dangote,” highlighting the ongoing efforts to alleviate the fuel supply crisis in the region.