Marketers unveil why Abuja fuel scarcity won't end soon
The high cost of transportation, according to fuel marketers, is a major cause of fuel scarcity in Abuja.
Tunji Oyebanji, former chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), stated that the Federal Capital Territory was constantly experiencing fuel scarcity due to the high cost of diesel.
According to him, a liter of diesel costs N600, while a liter of petrol costs N165.
Diesel is a deregulated product, as opposed to gasoline, which is currently set by the Federal Government.
During an interview, Oyebanji made it known that "moving diesel from Lagos to Abuja is more expensive," adding that truck drivers preferred to load diesel rather than petrol. He also stated that other states of the federation, other than Abuja and Lagos, where the government has relaxed the monitoring of petrol prices, were likely to receive more products than those where prices were being monitored.
You can eat off the profits you make there. As a result, everyone becomes involved in the business. The NNPC is only bringing enough to maintain balance. As a result, the market is in a state of uneasy calm. The price does not accurately reflect the market. That is why there aren't enough trucks going to Abuja because N165 enforcement is so strict in those areas.
However, if you go to Maiduguri and other states where price control is weak, you will have no trouble finding trucks because prices will reflect the market there," he said.
Although the government said the shortages were caused by discovery of high amounts of methanol in imported fuel, the crisis has lingered for months, especially in Abuja.
As a result of the scarcity in Abuja, black market sales have since boomed to a litre currently being sold between N300 and N400.
President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Okoronkwo, also corroborated Oyebanji’s position.
Although the government said the shortages were caused by discovery of high amounts of methanol in imported fuel, the crisis has lingered for months, especially in Abuja.
As a result of the scarcity in Abuja, black market sales have risen to the point where a liter is now selling for between N300 and N400.
Chinedu Okoronkwo, President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, agreed with Oyebanji.
