According to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, the ongoing scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol, is expected to persist for an additional two weeks.
IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Chinedu Ukadike, addressed the issue on Sunday in response to the prolonged shortage affecting numerous states across the country.
Ukadike informed Vanguard that the unavailability of the product is a result of challenges in sourcing it, largely due to major refineries in Europe undergoing maintenance.
“Any disruption in the global supply chain affects local supply as we rely on imports.
“Information from reliable sources indicates that several European refineries are currently under maintenance, making it more difficult to obtain petroleum products.
“The NNPC Group CEO has provided assurance of supply chain improvement with the arrival of their vessels.
“Once this is achieved, normalcy is expected to resume. However, restoring the 30-day supply sufficiency post-disruption can take two to three months,” he explained.
Ukadike also pointed to importation hurdles and delays in the renewal of marketers’ licenses by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, as contributing factors to the acute scarcity.
Reports from NewsNow indicate that transportation in several cities including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and Lagos State, has been severely impacted by the lingering fuel shortage.
While some fuel stations have ceased operations, others are accused of stockpiling the product, leading to long queues at stations that are operational.