Several vessels carrying Premium Motor Spirit commonly known as petrol, on Tuesday,docked at Lagos Ports, aiming to alleviate the ongoing fuel scarcity in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Ports Authority announced that 16 ships laden with PMS had arrived, with an additional two vessels expected to deliver bulk and butane gas.
The NPA detailed that these 16 vessels would be moored at terminals including ENL Consortium, AMPT, Apapa Bulk, and Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd.
“The 16 vessels will berth at ENL Consortium, AMPT, Apapa Bulk, and Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd. terminals in Lagos,” the NPA stated.
Despite these efforts, fuel shortages persist across the country. Long queues continue to form at stations in Abuja, Lagos, and other regions as filling stations face depleted stocks.
Dealers revealed that the arrival of the vessels alone may not suffice to resolve the crisis.
They pointed out that depot operators are prioritizing their own filling stations over independent marketers, which exacerbates the shortage.
“The depots are not wet yet. We are still doing epileptic loading. No product for third parties. That is, the depots are prioritising their own stations,” a dealer explained.
Another source noted that the rate at which vessels are discharging fuel is insufficient to meet demand, suggesting a need for simultaneous discharges at Apapa jetty to make a significant impact.
“It’s not that vessels are not berthing, but the rate cannot meet the expected loading to reduce queues. We need to double up. Apapa jetty alone needs at least two vessels discharging simultaneously, but the vessels are coming one after the other and that cannot solve the pending problem,” the source said.
As of Tuesday, the NPA reported that 16 ships were scheduled to berth at Lagos ports, with additional vessels carrying bulk and butane gas.
Meanwhile, nine vessels were already discharging various cargoes, including crude oil and diesel, at the Lagos ports.
Reports indicated that many petrol depots were out of stock as of Sunday, leading to widespread fuel shortages and long queues in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, Niger, and other states.
Black marketers have exploited the scarcity, charging up to N1,300 to N1,500 per litre in some areas.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation attributed the fuel supply issues to operational delays with some vessels, but despite their assurances of working to resolve the situation, normalcy has yet to be restored.
Consequently, transportation costs have surged as numerous filling stations remain closed.