The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has begun filling trucks at all of its facilities in order to alleviate the country’s present scarcity.
The NNPC stated that 1.7 billion litres of gasoline were now available in stock.
NNPC Group Managing Director, Malam Mele Kyari, announced after meeting with the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petrol Tanker Drivers in Abuja.
The conference was also attended by the Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN).
With fewer stations distributing the product, Kyari remarked that the increased fuel will stop the long lines that had formed in Abuja and other regions of the country.
“Currently, we have over 1.7 billion litres of fuel in our hands both in marine and on land.
“This means that we have the capacity to load out excessively from all depots. We have put in place measures to ensure 24hrs loading in all depots.
“This will ensure that scarcity created by panic buying will now be freed so that normalcy will return to filling stations across the country,” he said.
Kyari indicated that the shortage will be rectified very soon and that neither the Federal Government nor the NNPC has any plans to hike the price of gasoline at the pump.
He urged retailers not to sell gasoline for more than the government-approved price.
He said that the NNPC will impose any legal penalty on any defaulting depot owner in order for Nigerians to be able to purchase the product at the permitted price.
He did, however, apologize to Nigerians for the inconveniences they had suffered at gas stations and urged people to simply purchase the amount of petrol they required.