On 24-Hour Loading Of Petrol

The Federal Government has ordered depot operators to engage on 24-hour loading of petrol, in a bid to ease the long queues and scarcity witnessed across the country.

This came as major marketers said they were ramping up imports and product supply to complement the efforts of the NNPC.

The directive was given during a visit by Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, managing director NNPC Retail, Yemi Adetunji, to Oando OVH, Mobil and Total terminals in Apapa, Lagos on December 25.

CEO of OVH Energy, Oando’s downstream licensee, Olaposi Williams, said they were ramping up petrol imports delivering upwards of 150 trucks everyday across Nigeria.

According to her, “We currently have a vessel that is waiting to discharge petrol but there were no officials from the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, to clear the product.”

The same sentiments were expressed by Ernest Umunah, of Total Nigeria Terminals, who attributed disruptions at the terminals and absent of imports from Independent marketers in the industry. He also requested incentives granted to marketers to enable it ramp up supply.