New Petrol Prices to Emerge in Lagos, Other Cities, Tanker Drivers Give Reasons

• Tanker drivers have paused fuel loading at various depots nationwide, raising fears of imminent scarcity
• The tanker drivers revealed that they were harassed by the Lagos state government, an allegation the state government denies
• Also, telecommunication companies raised the alarm over an imminent network outage over industrial action by tanker drivers

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

Petrol scarcity is looming in Lagos and other cities across Nigeria as tanker drivers have halted fuel loading, alleging harassment by Lagos State officials and the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

Also, telecom firms have raised alarm over a possible network outage as the strike by petroleum tanker drivers could disrupt the diesel supply.

Fuel tanker drivers, Lagos government at war

According to reports, truck drivers could not load on Saturday and Sunday, February 22 and 23 2025, causing fears of scarcity in Lagos and other states.

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However, the Lagos state government revealed that it was enforcing the e-call-up system, saying the allegation of the tanker drivers is a blackmail.

The e-call-up system is a digital platform managing the movement of trucks in the Lekki-Epe axis of Lagos. 

The state government reportedly launched the system in September 2024 to decongest traffic.

Fuel tanker drivers allege harassment

A report by Punch said that the national president of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Yusuf Othman, disclosed that the association members were beaten and harassed by government officials.

He said trucks are being seized and damaged by the officials, stressing that there may be a scarcity of fuel, beginning Monday, February 24, 2025.

Othman said the current impasse is not related to the 60,000-capacity truck ban by the Nigerian government.

Meanwhile, the state government stressed that it plans to sanitise traffic along the road to Dangote Refinery.

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Investors to lose N300 billion as FG’s ban on high-capacity fuel tankers takes effect in a few days

Wale Musa, Lagos State Permanent Secretary for Transportation, said the government will not allow tanker drivers to turn the areas into another Apapa, which suffers massive gridlocks.

Fuel tanker drivers strike: Telcos raise alarm

Legit.ng earlier reported that telcos expressed worry over imminent network outage as the strike by petroleum tanker drivers could hamper diesel supply.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) warned that the strike could cause prolonged service disruptions if the diesel shortage continues.

According to ATCON, the strike will impact operations because telecom firms depend on diesel to power base stations daily.

ATCON President, Tony Emoekpere, said many base stations and sites have reserve tanks, while some are already at critical supply levels.

Telcos such as MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile do not manage their sites directly but rely on infrastructure firms like IHS Towers, American Tower Company, and Pan African Towers to maintain the base stations using diesel generators.

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"It is a national emergency": Telecom operators warn of network blackout in two Nigerian states

The ATCON boss stressed the need for measures to protect key telecom infrastructure.

According to him, infrastructure firms have already reported challenges in securing diesel, which prompted the organisation to raise the alarm.

Petrol consumption drops

Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has revealed that Nigeria’s three functional refineries supply less than 50% of the country’s petrol consumption despite improved refining capacity.

The authority also said the country’s petrol consumption had fallen to 50 million litres daily.

The chief executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this at a press conference on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

Source: Legit.ng