Nigerian govt promises fuel availability in three days

The Federal Government on Wednesday assured Nigerians on the availability of fuel nationwide after queues appeared in filling stations across the country due to shortage of the product.

The Chief Executive of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, who disclosed this to journalists during a visit to some petroleum products depots in Apapa and Ijegun area of Lagos, said normalcy would be restored to petrol stations in Abuja and other areas in three days following the resumption of loading at the depots.

He added that the current scarcity was caused by the stoppage of loading at the depots due to the discovery of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing methanol above the specified volume.

Ahmed said: “We have gone round some of the depots in Apapa and Ijegun-Egba and they are loading.

“These products that are being loaded have been tested and are being distributed to Lagos and other Northern parts of the country.

“There is a vessel that just arrived with 39,000 metric tonnes which would be distributed to the major marketers here in Apapa.

“Once they start loading, Lagos will be cleared in a day or two but trucking from here to Abuja and other areas will take two to three days.

READ ALSO: Nigeria probes importation, supply of adulterated petrol

“I will not make any excuses. The fact is that there were mistakes made because we received a product that was off-specification even though there was a surveyor that actually went on board and took a sample.

“Because this parameter was not indicated, they didn’t capture that parameter.

“So it was a mistake but now going forward, obviously we have to balance all these parameters and components of imported products not only PMS but other petroleum products.

“The component that was in excess was methanol and the fuel was not toxic or something that can destroy the environment but it was a matter of how it affects machineries and vehicles.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now