Fuel Scarcity Looms as Petroleum Marketers Threaten Strike Over N100bn Unpaid Claims
- There may be fuel scarcity ahead as the Nigerian petroleum marketers have threatened a nationwide strike
- This is arising from owed bridging claims dating back to 2024, and the marketers have now given an ultimatum
- The NMDPRA had promised to make payments more than a month ago but has yet to make any moves
Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.
The following months might see Nigerians face unprecedented fuel scarcity if the federal government does not pay the petroleum marketers the owed claims.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to pay marketers the owed bridging claims amounting to N100 billion.
The marketers said that they would embark on a nationwide strike if they did not receive the claims within seven days.
Source: Getty Images
Reading the communique at a Press conference in Abuja, the Chairman of the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Alhasan, said that the NMDPRA had made several promises to make payment, but failed to keep to them.
FG owes marketers N100 billion bridging claims
The Bridging claims referred to by the marketers is the cost of ensuring uniform pump prices nationwide, by moving fuel from the former Pipelines and Products Marketing Company depots to approved zones.
The government last paid oil marketers bridging claims of N74 billion in 2022, and paid freight differentials of N2.72 billion in June 2024, the PUNCH reports.
The current owed bridging claims date back to 2024, and had been deducted from the marketers payment for products to settle the bridging allowance.
Alhasan explained in his communique that the bridging claims are not from any government allocations, but monies deducted from payments made by marketers.
The inability to access these monies has led some marketers to shut down businesses, retrench staff, and lose their businesses to commercial banks due to unserviced loans, especially in states like Gombe, Yola, Plateau, Niger, Kaduna and other northern states.
In January 2025, the NMDPRA promised to make the payments in the presence of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, but no payment has yet been made.
Source: Getty Images
Petroleum marketers threaten to strike
If the situation remains unresolved, petroleum marketers will embark on industrial action in 7 days, leading to fuel scarcity across the country.
Alhasan stated;
“We are extremely frustrated that one year after our last demand as a forum, requesting the payment of over N100bn owed to our members in bridging and NTA claims by the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the management of the NMDPRA has deliberately ignored our request, even after making clear promises to pay us.”
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He added that NMDPRA also made similar promises to the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) last year when they listed the unpaid bridging claims as part of their challenges, but still failed to deliver on it.
He also lamented another 5% levy which NMDPRA imposed on marketers, describing it as unconstitutional.
NMDPRA is yet to respond to the issue.
Lagos to face fuel scarcity over strike
In related news, there are concerns about fuel scarcity in Lagos state and nearby Ogun state, as the tanker drivers have paused fuel loading at various depots.
The tanker drivers claim constant harassment from the Lagos state government, with some of the members even beaten. The Lagos state government has however denied the allegations.
Also, telecommunication companies have raised the alarm over an imminent network outage over industrial action by tanker drivers, as they are running out of diesel to keep the communication infrastructure up.
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Source: Legit.ng
