The controversy surrounding the sale and supply of premium motor spirit commonly known as petrol between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and Dangote Refinery has escalated, with conflicting reports on the volume of petrol supplied.
While NNPCL initially claimed that Dangote had only delivered 16.8 million litres of petrol, Dangote Refinery countered by stating that it had supplied 111 million litres over three days and was continuing to load.
This discrepancy has raised concerns about Nigeria’s fuel supply. Although Dangote Refinery’s latest figures suggest it is capable of meeting national demand, NNPCL has continued importing significant volumes of petrol. Recent import reports show over 135 million litres being brought into the country within three weeks from September 27, 2024, suggesting a sudden surge in supply following a period of severe shortage, which caused price hikes.
Motor Tanker Vessels Report, sighted by Vanguard, yesterday, indicated as of September 13, 2024, vessels such as Mia Grace, Valle Azzurra, Hafina Lioness and Clean Justice brought in 37,000 metric tonnes, 37,234 metric tonnes, 24,352 metric tonnes and 36, 934 metric tonnes of imported petrol into Nigeria for the government.
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Another vessel, known as Savanna, brought in 20,000 metric tonnes of import petrol through Mainland for distribution in Calabar while Mycroft brought in another 20,000 metric tonnes of diesel for Total Oil for distribution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
NNPCL’s Executive Vice-President of Downstream, Adedapo Segun, explained that other marketers are not importing petrol due to unprofitable market conditions. Consequently, NNPCL remains the primary off-taker, while Dangote sells petrol at market prices.
The situation has worsened the economic burden on Nigerians, prompting calls for government intervention to address rising fuel prices and inflation. Dr. Muda Yusuf of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise urged the government to provide welfare packages and social safety nets to alleviate the hardships faced by citizens.
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