The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has instructed fuel stations to extend operating hours to boost petrol supply.
In Abuja on Monday, Mr Dapo Segun, Executive Vice President of Downstream, emphasised the need for stations to aid product availability amidst current challenges. The organisation has also extended the turnaround period for PMS trucking to alleviate scarcity.
NNPCL and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) jointly monitored fuel supply and distribution nationwide to eliminate queues.
Disruptions in ship-to-ship fuel transfers caused queues in parts of the country due to recent thunderstorms affecting berthing and logistics.
Segun explained that the recent thunderstorms had a significant impact on fuel distribution, halting ship-to-shore movements and creating gaps in PMS discharge.
“This also affected the loading of trucks at the depot too because of safety reasons, so we have to suspend all that during thunderstorms and that’s why you see this tightness.
“Though we have a challenge over the bad portions of motorways, which deteriorated due to rains and floods across the country, we will ensure that we are loading out all through the weekend and that we are mobilising trucks.
“We are getting fuel stations to run for longer hours and we are getting marketers to collaborate and share stocks. Rather than have a station with more trucks, they can release those trucks to other stations for circulation,” he said.