The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has urged Nigerians not to purchase gasoline in a frenzy because there is enough on hand.
This was revealed to reporters in Lagos on Tuesday by NMDPRA's chief executive officer, Farouk Ahmed.
Ahmed claimed to have validated the level of fuel supply with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and that there was enough fuel on hand.
“l spoke with the MOMAN’S Executive Secretary this morning and he told me they have sufficient stock.
“I have directed them to start evacuating the product immediately to filling stations.
“NNPC has also confirmed sufficiency and they have commenced evacuation.
“From now till tomorrow the situation will be back to normal.
“I don’t know what is happening but we are on top of the situation,” he said.
Ahmed assured that there was enough fuel and, therefore, appealed to members of the public to avoid panic buying as all efforts were being made to resolve the shortage in some filling stations in Lagos and its environs.
The National Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr Mike Osatuyi, attributed the scarcity to unsteady supply in the past few days.
Osatuyi told PRIME 9JA ONLINE that due to the unsteady supply, depot prices had risen from N165 to N177 and N178 per litre in Apapa and its environs.
“The marketers will only sell what they buy. If the price of petrol increases, we add our transportation cost and other charges to the selling price,” he said.
He appealed to NNPC and NMDPRA to supply enough petrol across the country to ease scarcity.
PRIME 9JA ONLINE correspondent reports that queues are beginning in some filling stations in Maryland, Onipan, Ikoyi and Victoria Island.