EKO NEWS

Lagos Faces Fuel Queues Amid Stock Shortage

Published

3 months ago

Aug 18, 2024.

Ochefu Owoicho

Fuel queues have resurfaced in Lagos as many filling stations ran out of stock, leading to closures and long lines at the few stations still dispensing fuel.

It was gathered on Sunday in Lagos that most filling stations along Ikorodu Road were not selling.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) and NIPCO at Fadeyi Bus-Stop on the same road had long queues.

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In other areas like Bank Anthony, only Total, Northwest, and NNPCL stations were open, each with long queues, while the Mobil Station at Salami Shaibu in Somolu Metropolis, closed due to chaotic scenes caused by commercial vehicles.

Illegal fuel hawkers were spotted along Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Gbagada, and Ogba, taking advantage of the situation.

Speaking under anonymity, some marketers attributed the supply difficulties to the inability of NNPC Ltd. to pay importers since March.

They alleged that NNPCL, being the sole importer, was responsible for the scarcity.

Motorists and commuters expressed frustration over the fuel shortage, which has led to long queues and a significant increase in transport fares across Lagos.

Chuks Edwin, a banker, said the scarcity had caused persistent traffic jams around fuel stations on Ikorodu Road and in Ikeja, with motorists queuing for hours to refuel at the few stations still dispensing fuel.

Edwin noted that the queues had been growing since last Wednesday and urged the government to address the issue to ease the movement of workers and residents in Lagos.

“Some petrol stations that dispensed fuel sold it at prices ranging from N618 to N800 per litre, depending on the area, leading to an increase in transport costs,” Edwin said.

Jimoh Saka, a bus driver at the Ileja Bus Stop in Bariga, lamented the struggle to obtain fuel, justifying the fare hike from N200 to N300 for trips from Bariga to Onipan.

“The increase in transport costs is not our fault. We sleep at petrol stations just to buy fuel and continue our business.

“Things are hard, and people should understand it is not our fault,” Saka explained.

Another driver, Gbenga Saliu, expressed frustration over the stress of waiting in long queues, stating, “It’s seriously stressful.”

“If you’re not patient in the queue, you end up buying from the black market at over N1,200 per litre or from some stations that sell at N800 or N700 per litre,” he added.