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Hunger protests: Marketers stop fuel supply, queues resurface

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Oil marketers have explained that the reappearance of queues at filling stations in many states is because of the halt in the supply of petroleum products by dealers in a bid to avert losing their assets due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protests.

Many states in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, witnessed varying degrees of queues about two weeks ago, which the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited blamed on a “hitch in the discharge operations of a couple of vessels.”

While the company and stakeholders worked together to tackle the challenge, the nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship commenced on Thursday, August 1, 2024, disrupting petrol supply again and causing the reappearance of queues in some states.

The National Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, told our correspondent that marketers were advised to close their stations during the protest to avoid losing their assets.

He also stated that many tankers did not load products during the first and second days of the protest, stressing that this distortion in the supply chain would cause shortages in states where the products would have been supplied.

“Although the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, urged independent marketers to go out and do their businesses normally and asked the security agencies to protect our facilities, it is pertinent to note that as at the time we were about to sell, we were called by the security agencies to step down the selling of products at that time.

“They said this is because they want to be able to control the situation during the protest and the vandalism of marketers’ properties. Now that the trucks are no longer moving due to this protest, the depots are not working, the truck drivers are not driving, particularly during the first and second days of the protest, these issues have disrupted the supply of petroleum products. So it will result in scarcity at the filling stations,” Ukadike stated.

On Friday,the hunger protest halted petrol loading at the Lagos depots, causing fuel scarcity to persist.

The depot owners refused to open for business over fears of violence.

An operator who pleaded anonymity stated that members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers were ready to support the depots in loading fuel. Still, the depot owners refused to take a risk.

“There were no activities at the Lagos depots on Thursday and Friday for two obvious reasons. One, we are still battling the paucity of the product; and two, the security concern on the roads after loading due to the hardship protest.

“NUPENG is ready to support depots to load, but the security situation is a drawback. Hopefully, if the situation improves later today loading may continue tomorrow,” the source had stated.

The IPMAN official, however, stated on Sunday that some trucks had commenced skeletal operations, and expressed hope that the fuel supply situation would improve provided the protests abate considerably.

“But now that some trucks have started skeletal operations and businesses are gradually resuming, the independent marketers will also return to business to address the fuel scarcity. However, it will not disappear immediately, rather it is going to clear gradually.

“So it is important to state that the protests, particularly during the first and second days, truncated the supply value chain, leading to fuel scarcity in many states. So it is the ripple effect of the protest that we are feeling now as fuel scarcity, but we hope to clear it.

“I will also want to use this opportunity to call on the protesters to stop the protests. The President has pleaded with them and has heard their demands. Let us therefore give him time to act by addressing these demands. And this can only be done when the protests stop,” Ukadike stated.

Scarcity in states

Meanwhile, many states including Lagos, Abuja, Katsina, and Delta, among others, witnessed varying levels of fuel scarcity on Sunday.

Scarcity of petrol was experienced in Warri, Delta State, and environs on Sunday as the commodity was dispensed at filling stations in the metropolis at between N850 and N1,000/litre.

Most dealers attributed the scarcity to the non-loading of products at the depots by members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers due to the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.

They however expressed hope that normalcy would return if and when the protesters sheath their swords and return to work.

In Asaba, the Delta State capital, fuel was sold at N1,000/litre on Sunday, as queues resurfaced at the filling stations.

In Rivers State, petrol was sold at between N850 and N870/litre at filling stations in Port Harcourt and its environs.

In the aftermath of the protests, fuel was scarce on Thursday and Friday and most filling stations were closed for fear of being attacked by irate youths.

But on Saturday, the fuel stations gradually returned and were selling between N870 and N850/litre.

In Akwa Ibom State, fuel was sold at between N870 and N890/litre, as filling stations in the state dispensed fuel without any queues.

In Edo State, few filling stations opened on Sunday to attend to customers, and this was due to the ongoing nationwide protest, as there were few vehicles around the city.

The fuel stations that opened for business sold for between N800 and N830/litre, with few vehicles in the queues waiting to be attended to.

The price of petrol in the Enugu State capital was between N780 and N890/litre on Sunday. While major marketers dispensed it at N780/litre, independent dealers sold it at between N850 and N890/litre. In the black market, a litre was sold at N1000/litre in Enugu.

Kaduna residents faced a challenging Sunday as no fuel station was open to the public, leaving motorists and road users stranded.

The few stations that operated, like Future View around Sabo Area, sold fuel at an exorbitant price of N860/litre, with no queues due to the ongoing #endbadgovernance protest that kept people indoors.

Major fuel stations and independent marketers shut their doors, while some remained locked as of Sunday evening when this report was filed.

However, black marketers took advantage of the situation, selling fuel at an inflated price of N1000/litre in some areas and N4,500/gallon in others.

The fuel scarcity and price hike added to the woes of Kaduna residents already reeling from the protests and uncertainty. The situation remains dire, with no indication of when fuel stations will resume normal operations.

In Gombe State, black marketers sold petrol at N1,200/litre.

Confirming this, a resident in the state, Johnson Mamedu, said, “I bought fuel for N850 and to get it immediately at the roadside from black marketers it is N1,200. I really don’t know where we are going to in this country.”

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Oil & Gas

Nigeria agrees to 1.5mbpd production quota set by OPEC

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The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production dropped to 1.25 million

Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), says Nigeria will conform with the production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

On June 2, OPEC extended Nigeria’s production quota of 1.5 million barrels of crude per day (bpd) to 2025.

OPEC said Nigeria should maintain the production level till December 31, 2025.

The oil cartel increased Nigeria’s production level to 1.5 million bpd for 2024 at its ministerial meeting on November 30, 2023.

However, Nigeria has been producing below the quota.

Speaking after OPEC’s 56th joint ministerial monitoring committee (JMMC) on October 2, the minister said Nigeria remains fully committed to the objectives of the body’s declaration of cooperation (DoC).

“Nigeria remains fully committed to the objectives of the DoC, and I can confidently confirm that our country is in conformity with the agreed production limits,” he said.

“While we continue to ramp up production in line with our national interests, we are doing so within the framework of OPEC’s guidelines, as we remain committed to balancing responsible production with our economic goals, and continue to meet our obligations under the DoC.”

OPEC RETAINS PRODUCTION OUTPUT POLICY

At the meeting, the oil cartel and its allies, known as OPEC+, retained its oil output policy, including a plan to start raising output in December.

According to a statement by OPEC, the group reviewed the crude oil production data for the months of July and August 2024 as well as current market conditions.

“During the meeting, the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation confirmed that they had achieved full conformity and compensation according to the schedules submitted for September,” the oil cartel said.

OPEC said the three countries reiterated their resolve to maintain full conformity and compensation throughout the remaining period of the agreement.

Final estimates of September’s crude oil production levels, according to the oil cartel, would be based on authorised secondary sources that would be accessible by the second week of October.

The oil alliance added that it will provide production figures for the nations that are part of the declaration of cooperation (DoC).

“The committee noted the three separate technical workshops between representatives from the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation and the secondary sources,” OPEC said.

“The meeting was aimed at discussing September production details and submitting their revised compensation plans that include the August overproduction as per the submitted plans to the OPEC Secretariat while also emphasising the need for some members to make further cuts to compensate for overproduction.

“The JMMC emphasised the critical importance of achieving full conformity and compensation. It will continue to monitor adherence to the production adjustments agreed upon at the 37th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting (ONOMM) held on 2 June 2024.

“The Committee will also continue to monitor the additional voluntary production adjustments announced by some participating OPEC and non OPEC countries as agreed upon in the 52nd JMMC held on 1 February 2024.”

Furthermore, according to OPEC, the committee would continuously assess market conditions.

OPEC said the next meeting of the JMMC is scheduled for December 1, 2024.

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Fuel scarcity looms as NNPCL portal closure delays petrol supply

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Independent Petroleum Marketers operating filing stations in Abia State are dispensing their Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to their

Petroleum marketers have raised an alarm that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, portal used for the purchase of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) has been shut down against dealers, making it impossible to apply for the commodity.

The spokesperson of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, marketers have more than 2,000 pending tickets for the purchasing of 45,000 liters of petrol.

He hinted that the situation may lead to another round of fuel scarcity nationwide.

“I can’t confirm the price now because the portal is still shut down.

“We have more than 2,000 tickets for 45,000 liters (of petrol). That is 45,000 multiplied by 2,000, you can now know the number of million liters it will be. This is just an estimate, you know I don’t work with NNPCL and I don’t know what is on their system,” Ukadike stated.

He added that a 45,000-litre truckload of PMS is around N39.5 million, making N79 billion when multiplied by 2,000.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye admitted that the state-owned firm has a significant backlog to address.

He said that the portal closure was intended to prevent the company from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period.

Soneye assured that the portal would soon be reopened; however, he failed to state the date when it would happen.

“We have a significant backlog to address. The closure is intended to prevent us from holding marketers’ funds for an extended period,” Soneye had explained.

“It will be reopened once the backlog has been sufficiently reduced. We are working to address it as soon as possible,” he stated.

The development comes as Nigerians struggle with high energy costs.

Recall that NNPCL in September 2024 announced a fresh price increase for petrol nationwide after lifting the product from Dangote Refinery.

Nigerians currently buy petrol between N950 and N1,100 per liter nationwide.

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Diesel import into Nigeria increases by 22.66 percent

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Independent Petroleum Marketers operating filing stations in Abia State are dispensing their Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to their

The import of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) into Nigeria increased by 22.66 percent to 4.94 billion liters in 2023 from 4 billion liters in 2022.

The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed this in its latest Petroleum Products Distribution Data released recently.

The data also showed that 109.39 million liters of Diesel were locally produced in 2023, compared to 102.47 million liters reported in 2022.

This represents a 6.76 percent growth rate in locally produced diesel in Nigeria.

Comparatively, Nigeria heavily depends on the import of diesel to meet its consumption demand based on the NBS data for 2023.

On the other hand, the Data also showed that the import of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) dropped 13.77 percent to 20.30 billion liters in 2023 compared to 23.54 billion liters in 2022.

Recall that in April 2024, Dangote Refinery commenced the domestic sale of diesel in Nigeria.

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Why NNPC prioritises Dangote for first phase of naira crude sale

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No guarantee of lower fuel prices from Dangote refinery, says NNPCL

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is prioritising supplying naira-denominated crude oil to the Dangote Refinery in the first phase of a naira-for-crude scheme, a development expected to positively impact the domestic fuel supply chain and enhance transparency.

Oil transactions in Nigeria are often conducted in US dollars, given the international nature of the oil market and the global reliance on the dollar for such trade.

However, the Federal Executive Council recently adopted a proposal by President Bola Tinubu to sell crude to Dangote refinery and other upcoming refineries in naira.

The federal cabinet approved that the 450,000 barrels meant for domestic consumption be offered in naira to Nigerian refineries, using the Dangote refinery as a pilot. The exchange rate will be fixed for the duration of this transaction.

Eche Idoko, publicity secretary of CORAN said the federal government had promised to only supply crude oil to the Dangote refinery as it was the “only refinery producing petrol”.

“We were present at the inaugural meeting where the federal government did make us understand that they would want to start the naira sales in phases. That they would start with refineries that are producing PMS first and extend it to other refineries and that’s where they are right now and we can say the first phase of the naira sales will start in October,” Idoko said.

“No other refinery (apart from Dangote refinery) is selling petrol at the moment but I know that there are other refineries working on their plants that would be producing petroleum like the Clairgold refinery which intends to produce PMS.

“There is also Aradel which is working on their PMS plant. There is also Azikel Petroleum Refineries, which is also working on producing PMS.

“The last I heard with respect to that arrangement, the October date still remains and we have spoken with people at Dangote and they said conversations are ongoing.”

However, he said the details of the transactions would be made known when the federal government makes the announcement.

“For instance, are they going to discounts as in the normal practice when you are selling crude to the international traders? If there is going to be a discount, that is what will guarantee the reduction in price of petroleum products,” Idoko said.

“We also want to know at what rate is the exchange rate pegged. Is the federal government intending to maintain the N1,600 exchange rate?”

He said Nigerians would know the potential price of petroleum products when all the details are unveiled.

On September 13, 2024, the Technical Sub-Committee on Domestic Sales of Crude Oil in Local Currency announced that the Federal Executive Council under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu approved the sale of crude to local refineries in naira and the corresponding purchase of petroleum products in naira.

“From October 1, NNPC will commence the supply of about 385kbpd (385,000 barrels per day) of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid for in naira,” the committee had declared.

The chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee is Zacch Adedeji, who doubles as chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Dare Adekanmbi, the special adviser on media to the FIRS Chairman told Journalists that the committee is working day and night to ensure that things go according to plans.

The panel explained in September that this initiative would help reduce pressure on the naira, eliminate unnecessary transaction costs, and improve the availability of petroleum products across the country.

“Since then, the implementation committee chaired by the Minister of Finance and we, the technical committee, have worked intensely with NNPC and Dangote refinery to fashion out the details of the modalities for the implementation of the FEC approval,” Adedeji had stated.

While stating that crude would be sold to Dangote in naira from October 1, the committee chairman and FIRS boss said, “In return, the Dangote refinery will supply PMS (petrol) and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid in naira.

“Diesel will be sold in naira by the Dangote refinery to any interested off-taker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now. All associated regulatory costs (NPA, NIMASA, etc.) will also be paid in naira. We are also setting up a one-stop shop that will coordinate service provision from all regulatory agencies, security agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this initiative.”

Adedeji explained that the technical committee that worked to flesh out the initiative would transition to an implementation execution and monitoring committee working out of Lagos for the next three to six months.

The committee, which includes Lydia Jafiya; the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance; the FIRS boss, as well as representatives from NNPC, Central Bank of Nigeria, AfreximBank, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, was set up to craft a robust template that will ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.

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Oil, gas industry owes FG $6bn, N66bn — NEITI Report

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Oil, gas industry owes FG $6bn, N66bn — NEITI Report

THE Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), says outstanding collectible revenues due to the Federal Government in the oil and gas industry have risen to 6.071 billion dollars and N66.4 billion as at June 2024, respectively.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NEM disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of its 2022 and 2023 Independent Oil and Gas Industry Reports.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the report is being prefered by the NEITI Board and the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG).

The report was unveiled by Mr Ola Olukoyede, Chair-man, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, NSWG, NEITI and other dignitaries.

He promise to address the findings that the industry owed the government $6 billion and N66 billion.

He disclosed that he has authorised the transfer of over #1 billion of funds recovered funds through previous NEITI audits, into the Federation Account.

“Over the years, as an anti-corruption agency in the country, we are part of the success of the work of NEITI.

Where the work stops at the level of presenting this report, then we take off from there to ensure that the recommendations therein and revelations therein particularly as relates to criminal infractions, and violation of our financial laws, it is taken up seriously.

“I am also happy to announce to you that as of yesterday (Wednesday), I still approved that over a billion so remitted to the Federal Government account as a result of the work of the last report of NEITI.

“Since then we have been making recoveries. We have cases in court we are prosecuting and with this report 2022 and 2023. We are also going to do everything within our power, deploying all our resources to ensure we implement the recommendations therein,” EFCC boss he said.

The breakdown of the report showed that outstanding liabilities were 6.049 billion dollars and N65.9 billion in unpaid royalties and gas flare penalties, due to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as collectible revenues by Aug. 31, 2024.

It also provided a detailed analysis of the information and data regarding who owes what in outstanding revenues due to the government.

A further breakdown showed outstanding petroleum profit taxes, company income taxes, withholding taxes, and Value Added Tax (VAT), due to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), amounting to 21.926 million dollars and N492.8 million as of June 2024.

On fuel importation, the latest NEITI report disclosed that a total of 23.54 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were imported into the country in 2022, while 20.28 billion litres were imported in 2023.

This represented a reduction of 3.25 billion litres, or a 14 per cent decline, following the removal of the fuel sub-sidy.

A detailed 10-year trend analysis (2014-2023) in the NEITI report showed that the highest annual PMS importation into the country, 23.54 billion litres, was recorded in 2022, while the lowest, 16.88 billion litres recorded in 2017.

The NEITI report also disclosed that a total of N15.87 trillion was claimed as under-recovery/price differentials between 2006 and 2023, with the highest amount, N4.714 trillion, recorded in 2022.

On crude production, fiscalised crude production in 2022 stood at 490.945 million barrels, compared to 556.130 million barrels produced in 2021, representing an 11 per cent decline.

However, in 2023, NEIT’s independent report revealed total fiscalised production of 537.571 million barrels, and 46.626 million-barrel or 9.5 per cent increase from total production recorded in 2022.

A 10-year trend (2014-2023) of fiscalised crude oil production in Nigeria showed the highest production volume of 798.542 million barrels was recorded in 2014, while the lowest, 490.945 million barrels, was recorded in 2022.

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PENGASSAN to Fed Govt: increase stake in Dangote Refinery to 45%

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PENGASSAN to Fed Govt: increase stake in Dangote Refinery to 45%

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has advised the Federal Government to increase its stake in Dangote Refinery to 45 per cent from the current seven per cent.

Its President, Mr Festus Osifo, made the call yesterday while presenting a communique and recommendations from the third edition of the “PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit” in Lagos to newsmen.

This, PENGASSAN said, is in order to foster product availability to meet local demand and ensure energy assurance and security for the citizens.

The union said the refineries should be modeled after the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), which appears to have been successful.

He said: “Ramping up efforts to make the Nation’s four refineries work; once operational, the government should divest majority shareholdings.

“And own at most 49per cent of the shareholding in the four refineries. Core investors will be brought in to take the 51per cent as applicable in NLNG.”

Bemoaning a situation whereby the inter land petroleum depots in six geopolitical zones of the country are dilapidated, Osifo stressed the need for the government to get the depots fixed in collaboration with the private sector so as to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products and enhance the national strategic reserve.

PENGASSAN also called for the expansion of pipelines that could be used in the delivery of refined petroleum products across the length and breadth of the country as this would reduce the pressure put on the roads by trucks carrying the products.

The group also recommended digital intervention to curtail crude oil theft; reengineer security architecture; and ensure ease of doing business, by reducing bureaucracies or complex regulations that make the gas investment unattractive to investors, among others.

Osifo said those caught for crude oil theft should be punished severely by competent courts of jurisdiction to serve as a deterrent to others.

He said participants were worried that three years after the passage of the PIA the section of the act had not been implemented at all.

The act stipulated that three per cent of the operational revenue of the oil companies should be contributed to the host community fund.

He enjoined the government to also create a business friendly environment by creating incentives for more investors to tap into the nation’s abundant gas resources.

In the upstream, it suggested an amendment of the PIA to include the divestment framework, noting that the previous divestments are not yielding results as the companies lack financial capacity to sustain and expand the divested oil wells.

The group also enjoined the Nigerian energy sector to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancement to improve productivity and sustainability, tackle oil theft and smuggling.

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