NEWS: Nigeria: Fuel Queues Emerge Nationwide As NNPC, Others Scramble to Abort Crisis

Despite assurances given by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC against any impending fuel crisis, most filling stations, particularly in the South-west part of the country, are still without the product.

But, petrol stations in Abuja and environs are having normal operations, while stations in other parts of the country are having mixed experiences, as government regulatory agencies scramble to resolve the current crisis with fuel marketers before the expiration of Monday deadline.

Most of the filling stations in Lagos and environs have not been attending to motorists who remained on Tuesday in long queues for hours.

NNPC spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the queues at some filling stations were as a result of panic buying by consumers.

He said the corporation not only has adequate stock of fuel in its depots across the country, also supplied the marketers enough to meet consumers' demand throughout the Yuletide season and beyond.

"The fuel queues witnessed in some parts of the country is due to panic buying by motorists. We have assured the people that the NNPC has sufficient stock of petroleum products to last throughout the coming festive season and beyond.

"Besides, before the GMD (Group Managing Director) traveled out of the country last week, he ordered that more cargoes be supplied to both Lagos and Abuja areas. On his return, he repeated the directive, to ensure that the situation is brought under control as soon as possible," Mr. Ughamadu said.

Regardless, our reporters in Lagos and environs said the situation worsened since Monday following the declaration by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, at the weekend about plans to withdraw services come Monday, December 11, 2017.

Our reporters observed that none of the three filling stations visited in Ikeja, namely Total, Conoil and NNPC Mega station along Kudirat Abiola Way, was dispensing fuel to the public.

At Total and Conoil stations, service attendants, who said they had no stock of products to sell to their customers, blamed the situation on the activities of fuel hoarders.

However, outside the NNPC station, there was a long queue of motorists, with only few cars being attended to inside, despite claims by its officials that they were out of stock.