By Bukola Olasanmi
The Southwest Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Tajudeen Adigun, says the current fuel crises being experienced in the country, might persist till the end of the year unless it is urgently tackled.
Long queues have resurfaced at petrol stations across Nigeria, the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil and Africa’s gas giant, amid poor power supply from the national grid.
Most stations aren’t dispensing the product and Nigerians have been cursing their luck from Lagos to Sokoto.
According to Adigun, there is a massive shortfall in supply by the importer of last resort, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“Once there is a shortfall in supply, this will create disruption in the distribution channel and that is what is being experienced now,” he said.
He said history has shown over the years that the demand for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, is usually on the rise during the Yuletide.
He said people engage in a lot of intra and inter state travels during this period, saying any slight hiccup in supply will lead to fuel scarcity.
Adigun added that the shortage of daughter vessels was adversely affecting the turnaround time of petrol evacuation.