Fuel Scarcity Grips Abuja as Pump Prices Soar Unofficially
By Matthew Eloyi
Abuja and its environs are grappling with a severe scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as fuel, as filling stations across the region have unofficially hiked pump prices.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), fuel stations with available products are now selling between N850 and N1,000 per litre. Meanwhile, black market sellers are exploiting the situation, charging as much as N1,300 to N1,400 per litre.
Despite this surge, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has maintained its official price at N617 per litre.
This crisis has led to extensive queues at NNPC Ltd. retail outlets, notably at Zone 1, Mega station near Church Gate, Jahi, and along Kubwa Express.
The scarcity initially surfaced due to the low distribution of fuel to various stations, attributed to logistical challenges. NNPC Ltd. had issued a statement last Thursday, acknowledging the issue as a “tightness in fuel supply” but assured the public that it had been resolved.
However, the reality on the ground presents a different picture. Along Karshi-Jukwoyi road, fuel prices at stations like Fuel Smart, Mobil, and NIPCO, as well as many independent marketers, hover between N850 and N1,000 per litre.
Conoil and TotalEnergies, situated opposite NNPC Ltd. Towers, maintain a lower price at N660 per litre, yet endure long queues.
In Kubwa, the situation worsens, with the majority of filling stations closed due to the unavailability of fuel. Eterna and Ammasco stations along the Kubwa-Zuba expressway are yet to be supplied with the product, leaving only the NIPCO Fuelling Station opposite Eterna with fuel, albeit with lengthy queues.
As consumers grapple with these challenges, the authorities are urged to take swift action to alleviate the strain on the populace and ensure equitable distribution of fuel resources.