Fuel scarcity looms as NNPCL shuts down petrol supply portal

Petroleum marketers in Nigeria have raised concerns over a looming fuel crisis due to the closure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) purchase portal.

The shutdown has left independent dealers unable to apply for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, raising fears of an impending nationwide fuel scarcity.

Chinedu Ukadike, the spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), disclosed the alarming situation on Wednesday. According to Ukadike, more than 2,000 purchase orders for 45,000 liters of petrol each are currently pending due to the portal closure.

“We have over 2,000 tickets, each for 45,000 liters of petrol. That is 45,000 multiplied by 2,000—you can see the volume of fuel affected,” he explained, noting that this backlog equates to millions of liters. With each truckload of 45,000 liters costing around ₦39.5 million, the total outstanding cost amounts to approximately ₦79 billion.

Ukadike warned that the ongoing shutdown is causing severe supply chain disruptions, which could lead to another round of fuel shortages across the country. “I can’t confirm the price now because the portal is still shut down,” he added, expressing concern over the growing supply gap.

In response, Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson for NNPCL, acknowledged the backlog but reassured the public that the company is taking steps to address the issue. Soneye explained that the portal closure was a deliberate move to prevent NNPCL from holding marketers’ funds while managing the backlog.

“We are aware of the significant backlog. The shutdown was necessary to prevent us from holding onto marketers’ funds for too long,” Soneye stated.

He assured that the portal would be reopened once the backlog has been sufficiently cleared, though no specific date was provided. “We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and will reopen the portal soon,” Soneye added.