
Nigeria is on the brink of a fuel scarcity crisis following the closure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) portal, which is essential for purchasing Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).
This development has raised alarms among petroleum marketers, who report that over 2,000 purchase tickets, each for 45,000 liters of petrol, are currently pending. The potential shortage threatens to exacerbate the already high energy costs faced by Nigerians, with petrol prices ranging from N950 to N1,100 per liter.
Chinedu Ukadike, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, "We have more than 2,000 tickets for 45,000 liters. That is 45,000 multiplied by 2,000, you can now know the number of million liters it will be." He further explained that this backlog could lead to another round of nationwide fuel scarcity.
The NNPCL's decision to close the portal was intended to prevent the prolonged holding of marketers' funds. Olufemi Soneye, spokesperson for NNPCL, acknowledged the significant backlog and assured that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. "The closure is intended to prevent us from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period," Soneye explained. "It will be reopened once the backlog has been sufficiently reduced. We are working to address it as soon as possible."
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