Protests Spark Fuel Shortage: Marketers Suspend Supply

Fuel Supply Grinds to a Halt Amid Protests, Shortages

Nationwide protests disrupt fuel supply, queues emerge...

Nationwide protests lead to fuel scarcity, long queues at petrol stations, as oil marketers halt supply amid fears of asset losses and violence, with some trucks resuming limited operations.

Fuel stations across the country continue to experience long queues, as oil marketers reveal that the persistent lines are a result of petroleum product dealers halting supply to avoid asset losses amid nationwide protests against hunger.

The queues, which have resurfaced in many states, including Abuja, were initially attributed to vessel unloading issues about two weeks ago. Although the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and stakeholders worked to resolve the problem, the recent protests against hunger and economic hardship, which began on August 1, 2024, have disrupted petrol supply once again, leading to the reappearance of long lines.

According to Chief Chinedu Ukadike, National PRO of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, marketers were instructed to shut down their stations during the protests to safeguard their assets and prevent potential damage.

Ukadike explained that the initial two days of protests saw a significant decline in tanker loading, resulting in supply shortages in states that were scheduled to receive those shipments, further exacerbating the fuel scarcity and long queues at petrol stations.

“Although the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, urged independent marketers to go out and do their businesses normally and asked the security agencies to protect our facilities, it is pertinent to note that as at the time we were about to sell, we were called by the security agencies to step down the selling of products at that time.

“They said this is because they want to be able to control the situation during the protest and the vandalism of marketers' properties. Now that the trucks are no longer moving due to this protest, the depots are not working, the truck drivers are not driving, particularly during the first and second days of the protest, these issues have disrupted the supply of petroleum products. So it will result in scarcity at the filling stations,” Ukadike stated.

The ongoing hunger protests have brought petrol loading to a standstill at Lagos depots, prolonging the fuel shortage. According to sources, depot owners have refused to open for business due to concerns about potential violence and vandalism.

An industry operator, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers were willing to assist with fuel loading, but the depot owners were unwilling to take the risk, citing fears of attack and property damage.

“There were no activities at the Lagos depots on Thursday and Friday for two obvious reasons. One, we are still battling the paucity of the product; and two, the security concern on the roads after loading due to the hardship protest.

“NUPENG is ready to support depots to load, but the security situation is a drawback. Hopefully, if the situation improves later today loading may continue tomorrow,” the source had stated.

According to the IPMAN official, speaking on Sunday, August 4, a limited number of trucks have resumed operations, and he expressed optimism that fuel supply will gradually improve if the protests subside substantially.

“But now that some trucks have started skeletal operations and businesses are gradually resuming, the independent marketers will also return to business to address the fuel scarcity. However, it will not disappear immediately, rather it is going to clear gradually.

“So it is important to state that the protests, particularly during the first and second days, truncated the supply value chain, leading to fuel scarcity in many states. So it is the ripple effect of the protest that we are feeling now as fuel scarcity, but we hope to clear it.

“I will also want to use this opportunity to call on the protesters to stop the protests. The President has pleaded with them and has heard their demands. Let us therefore give him time to act by addressing these demands. And this can only be done when the protests stop,” Ukadike stated.

On Sunday, several states, including Lagos, Abuja, Katsina, and Delta, experienced varying degrees of fuel scarcity. In Warri, Delta State, petrol was in short supply, with stations selling it at exorbitant prices of between N850 and N1,000 per liter.

Dealers in the area attributed the scarcity to the refusal of Petroleum Tanker Drivers to load products at depots due to the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests. They expressed hope that once the protests subside and normalcy returns, fuel supply will resume, and prices will stabilize.