“N640/Litre is Cheap”: Oil Marketers Explain Why Fuel Could Sell for N800/Litre as Christmas Knocks
- Oil marketers have explained why filling stations in Abuja and some states are experiencing queues
- They also highlighted factors that are causing Nigerians to pay more for fuel at this time
- The NNPC has, however, stated different reasons for long queues and hike in fuel price
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market
Oil marketers in Nigeria have explained why queues resurfaced in some parts of the country.
They also stated why fuel is now selling more than the usual price in some regions.
Source: UGC
Queues caused by insufficient supply
Ukadike Chinedu, the National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said an insufficient supply of products caused queues.
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According to him, profiteering among marketers would be curtailed if there were enough products.
He cited an instance in Port Harcourt where marketers' tickets have been tied down. He also noted that some marketers have been unable to load products for the past three weeks.
Chinedu also added that the few available stations that have petrol have been experiencing queues.
He said that since the NNPC has yet to fulfil its promise of delivering, private depot owners have raised the cost of their products, leading to the hike in petrol pump prices at retail outlets.
Fuel price increases in some states
Chinedu noted that the cost of petrol in most states outside Lagos and the South-West was about N650/litre, but it is starting to rise in the north.
The N640/litre price in Abuja is cheap when compared to the N660/litre average price in the South-East. In fact, in Owerri, Imo State, it is N670 and in Anambra, it is N700/litre. So, those of you in Abuja are lucky.
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Do you know that it is getting close to N800/litre in remote areas in the far North? This is based on reports we receive from our members. That is the situation. There is insufficient supply of products and this often leads to profiteering.
Mohammed Shuaibu, the Secretary of IPMAN, Abuja-Suleja, noted that the queue experienced in some states is due to low supply volumes from NNPCL and the forthcoming festive season.
Meanwhile, Olufemi Soneye, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, countered the position of oil marketers on the emerging queues in fuel stations.
He said that the recent tightness in Abuja resulted from a price war. According to him, this is typical of any competitive market, as motorists would instead queue at filling stations that offer lower prices than others.
While NNPC retail is selling at N613/litre in Abuja, other marketers’ prices range from N625-N650/litre.
In a chat with Charles Abuede, the financial analyst told Legit.ng that the increase in fuel price with its scarcity and consequently, hike in transportation fee is already beginning to impact on the nation's inflation.
Recall that Legit.ng reported that the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nigeria's headline inflation rate, which measures the cost of goods and services over a period, rose to 27.33% in October 2023.
In his outlook for the the near term, he sees the increase in transportation cost caused could cause more food inflation.
He said,
"Despite a potential modest boost in food supply from the ongoing green harvest, the rising transportation costs pose a notable risk to food inflation. Additionally, factors such as a low base year, the material depreciation of the Naira in various foreign exchange markets, and elevated prices of PMS and Diesel, driven by the surge in crude oil prices, contribute to the overall complexity of the inflationary landscape."
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that marketers raised concern over NNPC's monopoly as Forex scarcity bites.
Expect cheap petrol as NNPC, US partner to produce fuel from corn, wood, other sources
The US Grains Council and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will collaborate on ethanol production, Legit.ng reported.
NNPC announced the development on its X page on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, when the US Grains Council visited the national oil firm.
NNPCL Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari met with the members of the Grains Council from the US, led by Ryan LeGrand, the Council's CEO.
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Source: Legit.ng
