Petroleum marketers in Nigeria have raised concerns about the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) shutting down its portal, which is used for purchasing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol.
According to Chinedu Ukadike, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the closure has left over 2,000 pending purchase tickets for 45,000 litres of petrol each, which could lead to fuel scarcity across the country.
Ukadike expressed concern about the potential nationwide impact, noting that the total volume of petrol involved amounts to millions of litres. The price of a 45,000-liter truckload is approximately ₦39.5 million, which totals about ₦79 billion for the 2,000 tickets. However, the exact price of petrol remains uncertain due to the portal closure.
NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye acknowledged the backlog and explained that the portal was closed to avoid holding marketers’ funds for extended periods. He assured that the portal would be reopened once the backlog is reduced but did not provide a specific timeline.
This issue has emerged at a time when Nigerians are already dealing with high energy costs. In September 2024, NNPCL announced a fresh price hike for petrol, with prices currently ranging from ₦950 to ₦1,100 per litre nationwide.
