Marketers Lament as Over 400 Filling Stations Remain Shut Down After FG’s Order
- Since 2019, more than 400 border village filling stations run by independent oil marketers have remained shut down
- This came as the federal government issued an order to prevent gasoline from being smuggled into neighbouring nations from Nigeria
- As a result of the event's financial losses, oil marketers protested the closing of these facilities
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5 years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
Due to the federal government's order to stop the smuggling of petrol out of Nigeria to neighbouring countries, more than 400 independent oil marketers' filling stations in border villages have stayed closed since 2019.
Source: Getty Images
Oil marketers protested the closure of these facilities because of the financial losses resulting from the event, as the Nigeria Customs Service announced on Monday, March 17, that the stations would remain closed.
Fuel shortage in Niger Republic
Given the recent severe petrol shortage in the neighbouring Niger Republic, Customs emphasised that it would keep up the station closures and the crackdown on fuel smugglers through Operation Whirlwind.
According to The Punch report, the Niger Republic's petrol shortage has caused the price of the product to increase to around N8000 per litre, which may lead to the smuggling of the commodity from Nigeria to the neighbouring country.
However, the Nigeria Customs Service, through its spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that the NCS would not accommodate smugglers, emphasising that the agency had been seizing illegal petrol throughout the nation's borders.
Maiwada said:
“You can see us everywhere seizing smuggled fuel. Be it in Adamawa, Taraba, Kebbi, Seme, everywhere. I think if there is any successful operation, it is this Operation Whirlwind. We are really on them. We will not allow fuel to get out of Nigeria illegally.
Filling stations remain shut
On whether filling stations around border towns are to remain shut, the Customs spokesperson replied, “Yes they remain shut!”
Marketers claimed that since former President Muhammadu Buhari prohibited the delivery of gasoline within 20 kilometres of the border in 2019, their members who own gas stations in these border areas had been out of business.
Nigeria is bordered to the north by the Niger Republic, to the west by the Benin Republic, to the east by Cameroon, and to the north by Chad.
Smugglers use illegal ways in all of these places to send subsidized fuel abroad. The Buhari administration believed that fuel subsidies intended for Nigerians were being smuggled to neighbouring nations, putting a significant financial strain on the country.
Even though the ban decreased fuel smuggling, it wasn't until May 29, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu announced that "the fuel subsidy is gone" that the neighbouring countries truly felt the effects.
Countries like Niger experienced severe fuel shortages as a result of the Nigeria Customs Service Operation Whirlwind and the elimination of subsidies.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria's national publicity secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, stated in an interview that the National Security Adviser's office came up with the notion to stop economic sabotage, but that it is illegal under the Petroleum Industry Act.
He said the office of the NSA is reviewing the prohibition in collaboration with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
“Over 400 were shut since the government banned fuel supply in border communities. Since then, the owners of these filling stations have not been doing anything. But I also know that the office of the NSA has been on that matter. They are working with the NMDPRA to open the filling stations. They are planning to look at the matter."
Source: Getty Images
But Ukadike insisted that the prohibition should be abolished now that the policy's goal has been met and the subsidy has been eliminated, particularly because it violates the PIA.
“The shutting of petrol stations is not necessary because Nigerians are living around the border areas. So, you can’t continue to punish them just because some people are smuggling fuel across the border. The government should empower the customs for proper check, to ensure that no petroleum product crosses the border,” he stated.
Dangote refinery crashes petrol prices again
Legit.ng reported that by covertly reducing the PMS price at its loading gantry on Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Dangote Refinery intensified the battle over gasoline prices. The massive refinery caused the price of gasoline to plummet from N825 to N815 per litre.
The change occurred on Thursday, March 13, 2025, when the plant unveiled a new pricing system.
As they have started to source items directly from the Dangote Refinery and avoid private warehouses, marketers reportedly expressed optimism at the new price.
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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Zainab Iwayemi (Business Editor) Zainab Iwayemi is a business journalist with over 5 years experience reporting activities in the stock market, tech, insurance, banking, and oil and gas sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.sc) degree in Sociology from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Before Legit.ng, she worked as a financial analyst at Nairametrics where she was rewarded for outstanding performance. She can be reached via zainab.iwayemi@corp.legit.ng
Nkem Ikeke (Copy editor) Nkem Ikeke is currently a copy editor who also writes for the politics and current affairs desk on weekends. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2010), and has over 10 years of work experience in the media industry (Reporter, News Agency of Nigeria). Email: n.ikeke@corp.legit.ng
