Ike Amos
13 December 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its downstream subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, Wednesday, said they have increased the supply of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, across the country to 1,300 truckloads daily to end the fuel crisis and boost fuel supply significantly.
Dr. Umaru Ajiya, Managing Director, Petroleum Products Marking Company (PPMC) disclosed this to Newsmen, on Wednesday while monitoring filling stations in Abuja.
He further stated that the NNPC is taking delivery of a minimum of one shipload of fuel on a daily basis, a trend which he said would continue until the end of the year.
According to him, each of the vessels contains over 50 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, which is far above Nigeria’s daily fuel demand of 35 million litres.
He said, “We have a robust supply plan; every blessed day, we have a minimum of one ship arriving Nigeria. On Wednesday, we received two ships; tomorrow, we will receive a ship; after that, we have two ships coming in. That is the trajectory going forward, until the end of the year. One ship is an average of 50 million liters and the average consumption in Nigeria is about 35 million liters.”
“In addition to that, we have massively increased our truck out. We cover 1,300 trucks a day. As you can see them arriving in several stations that we visited.”
He noted that with the collaboration of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and security agencies, surveillance and monitoring had been beefed up adding that the NNPC had directed that any depot or filling station found hoarding product should be sold to Nigerians free of charge.
He further debunked the allegation of the planned increase of pump price by NNPC and reassured Nigerians of adequate products in the country.
“Nigerians should calm down, they do not need to rush to buy products and hoard; it is also unsafe to keep such products in their houses,” he noted.
Also speaking, Chief Operating Officer, NNPC Ventures, Mr. Babatunde Adeniran, disclosed that the corporation had put in place a robust plan to ensure a steady supply for the rest of 2017 and beyond.
He said, “Our hands are still on deck and we are looking at everything as it comes every day, so that the situation like this, where there is steady fuel supply, can continue in Lagos, Abuja and all over the country.”
