Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), attributed the ongoing fuel scarcity in Nigeria to distribution challenges, warning that these shortages will continue to recur until significant actions are taken to repair pipelines and depots.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday evening, Mr. Osifo criticized Nigeria for not fully utilizing the country’s available depots.
“We have around 21 depots scattered across Nigeria. If these depots were operational, we wouldn’t be facing such severe logistics challenges,” he stated.
Mr. Osifo, who is also the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), suggested that revitalizing the neglected depots could help alleviate the situation.
“Even if the current fuel queues disappear within a week, there’s no guarantee that they won’t return in a month due to ongoing logistics issues,” he cautioned.
He further proposed that Nigeria should either repair its pipelines to ensure coastal areas can supply inland regions or establish strategic reserves across the country, possibly within the six geopolitical zones, to serve as a buffer against logistical challenges.
Reasons for Fuel Scarcity
Nigeria has been grappling with recurring fuel shortages since the beginning of the year.
In July, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) attributed the issue to logistical challenges in transferring fuel from mother vessels to daughter vessels.
In a brief statement on Sunday, NNPC Limited’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, cited “distribution challenges” as the cause of the recent fuel shortages and urged motorists to avoid panic buying, assuring them that the company is working tirelessly with stakeholders to restore normalcy.
Additionally, during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Vice President of NNPC Retail Limited, Dapo Segun, linked the fuel scarcity to adverse weather conditions, such as rain, lightning, and thunderstorms, which he claimed were beyond their control.
Mr. Segun apologized to Nigerians and assured them that efforts are underway to resolve the issue.
Despite being an oil-producing nation, Nigeria has struggled with persistent fuel shortages, a problem that has become commonplace.
Since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidies during his inauguration last May, petrol prices have skyrocketed from under N200 to as much as N1,000 in certain parts of the country.
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