The ongoing fuel shortage in Nigeria persists despite the arrival of petrol vessels at Lagos and other ports nationwide.

Observations by our correspondent on Tuesday revealed that queues persisted in Abuja, Lagos, and other regions as filling stations faced fuel depletion.

Dealers interviewed by our correspondent have indicated that petrol tankers are presently arriving at the ports in quick succession. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if this influx will be adequate to resolve the existing situation.

As per the information provided by the depot owners, the current fuel supply to their filling stations is solely driven by the limited availability of fuel.

“The depots are not wet yet. We are still doing epileptic loading. No product for third parties. That is, the depots are prioritising their own stations.

“That is always the case for depot operators. They will prefer to keep their stations wet to promote customer loyalty. Independent marketers will be left in the cold,” a dealer said.

Another source told our correspondent, “It’s not that vessels are not berthing, but the rate cannot meet the expected loading to reduce queues. We need to double up. Apapa jetty alone needs at least two vessels discharging simultaneously, but the vessels are coming one after the other and that  cannot  solve the pending problem.”

As of Tuesday, the Nigerian Ports Authority reported that there were 16 ships waiting to dock at the ports in Lagos.

This information was shared in the Tuesday edition of the 'NPA Shipping Position', a daily update provided by the port authority.

Among the 16 vessels, two are scheduled to arrive with petrol, while another two will be carrying bulk and butane gas.

The NPA specified that these ships will dock at terminals operated by ENL Consortium, AMPT, Apapa Bulk, and Greenview Development Nigeria Ltd. in Lagos.

As of the latest update, nine vessels are currently engaged in the discharge of crude oil, diesel, containers, gasoline oil, and other types of cargo at various ports within the Lagos area.

As of Sunday, numerous petrol depots were out of stock, resulting in a fuel shortage and long lines in Lagos, Ogun, certain areas of Abuja, Niger, and several other states nationwide.

Reports indicate that black market sellers have exploited this situation, charging prices as high as N1,300 and N1,500 per litre in various locations within Lagos and Ogun states.

Long queues began to form at fuel stations in Abuja and Lagos on Friday and have continued to grow.

“The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the tightness in fuel supply and distribution witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) is a result of a hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels,” NNPC ‘s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, had stated.

The company added that it was “working round the clock with all stakeholders to resolve the situation and restore normalcy in the operations.”

Despite the NNPC’s assurances, the situation deteriorated. Our correspondents nationwide reported long queues at numerous filling stations across major cities.