Many filling stations across Lagos and other parts of the country remained closed over the weekend, making it near impossible for Nigerians to obtain Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
The situation, which has been ongoing for weeks, has resulted in long queues at the few functional filling stations and has caused untold hardship and frustration for Nigerians.
A recent mandate from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) could see the current fuel scarcity crisis in Lagos and other South-West regions worsen, reports revealed.
According to the mandate, fuel tankers departing Lagos depots must first service the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before attending to any other state, leading to a serious shortage of fuel in the South-West region.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity to preserve their confidentiality, several officials at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have confirmed to reporters that fuel is being rationed in order to prioritize supply to Abuja.
These officials, who are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, revealed that the NNPCL is currently allocating just 5,000 metric tonnes of fuel to depots instead of the usual 10,000 metric tonnes, leading to a significant reduction in supply to the South-West region.
