The House of Representatives has summoned Minister of State (Petroleum Resources) Heineken Lokpobiri to address the ongoing petrol scarcity across Nigeria. The invitation was made following a motion of urgent importance by Umar Ajilo. Relevant stakeholders in the petroleum industry have also been summoned.

Before the invitations were issued, the House expressed concerns over the difficulties Nigerians are facing due to the scarcity and the rising cost of petrol. They criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for failing to resolve the perennial fuel scarcity problem despite having sufficient resources.

Umar Ajilo highlighted the hardships faced by Nigerians, with petrol prices soaring as high as N1,200 per liter in some states. He called for immediate action by the government to address the situation permanently.

The NNPCL expressed hope that normalcy would return soon, with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) evacuating 300 million liters of petrol from Apapa and other parts of Lagos. MEMAN believes the scarcity will end in a few days.

However, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) threatened to shut down filling stations if the Federal Government fails to pay over N200 billion owed to them from the subsidy regime era.

NNPCL stated that logistical issues caused a three-day disruption in distribution, which has since been resolved. They assured that product scarcity has been minimal, but some may be exploiting the situation for profit.

MEMAN assured the public of adequate petrol supply, with their members evacuating 300 million liters of petrol, well above normal levels.

IPMAN demanded payment of their outstanding debt and warned of a nationwide shutdown if not paid promptly.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) denied profiteering from the scarcity, stating they sell at NNPC’s approved prices.

In Lagos, filling stations had long queues, with prices ranging from N567 to N700, while black market prices reached N1,000 per liter. Badagry was severely affected, leading to transport fare hikes.

In the Federal Capital Territory, queues were longer than usual, and prices ranged from N700 to N1,000 per liter.

Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) deployed personnel to maintain order at filling stations.

In Osun State, the Taskforce on Petroleum Price Monitoring warned against hoarding petrol, while The Osun Masterminds (TOM) called for the shutdown of schools to alleviate the suffering caused by the scarcity.

Similar situations were reported in Ondo, Rivers, Kwara, Kano, Adamawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, and Jigawa states, with pump prices ranging from N670 to N1,200 and above in black markets.