Anxiety in Lagos as petrol queues resurface

Queues for petrol have resurfaced in Lagos as motorists throng filling stations to fill up their tanks.

The new development is coming days after scarcity surfaced in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.

In February, Nigeria experienced petrol scarcity — lasting for over one month — caused by the recall of off-spec petrol in circulation. 

On Monday, queues were noticed in some filling stations visited by TheCable, resulting in panic buying motorists.

At some filling stations in Ikorodu, sales of the commodity were restricted to two or three pumps even as other filling stations shut down services.

An attendant at TotalEnergies in Festac town told TheCable that the scarcity is likely due to a rumoured increase in petrol price.

“Our customers have also said they noticed the same queues. In fact, this morning, we didn’t get supplies until 9 am today. I am very sure we will shut down before 6 pm today,” he said.

Last week, the South-West zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) threatened to direct its members to increase petrol and diesel pump prices.

Dele Tajudeen, IPMAN zonal chairman in the South-West zone, had claimed that his members had been unable to buy the products from any of the government-owned depots for the past six months, forcing them to purchase from private depot owners who had continued to take advantage of the situation.

TheCable had reported that petrol scarcity would continue as available statistics showed the country is experiencing extreme low crude oil production. In May, Nigeria’s oil output dropped to 1.02 million barrels per day (1.28 million including condensate) — the lowest figure in record time.