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N195/Per Litre’ Independent Marketers To Shut Down Filling Stations Nationwide Monday

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N195/Per Litre’ Independent Marketers To Shut Down Filling Stations Nationwide Monday

Independent marketers of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are getting set to shut down operations beginning from Monday once the government starts the enforcement of N195/litre pump price.

It was gathered on Saturday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, security agencies and the downstream regulator had all agreed that petrol be sold at N195/litre.

Oil marketers said the agreement was reached at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, as participants resolved that beginning from Monday, February 6, 2023, the pump price of petrol should not exceed N195/litre, a development which dealers, particularly independent marketers, described as tough due to the high ex-depot price of the commodity.

They told our correspondent that to avoid having their outlets sanctioned, many filling stations operated by independent marketers would be shut from Monday as it made no business sense to sell a product lower than the cost price.

This is likely to further prolong the petrol scarcity and queues in many parts of the country as independent marketers control about 80 per cent of filling stations nationwide.

IPMAN’s National President, Debo Ahmed, told journalists that the approved ex-depot price of petrol was recently raised from N148/litre by the NNPCL to N172/litre, but depots hardly dispense the commodity at this cost.

Ahmed, who was reacting to the notice to members issued by the Public Relations Officer, IPMAN Ibadan Depot branch, Mojeed Adesope, stated that marketers were advised to sell the product in stock now before the enforcement begins on Monday.

In the memo, which was sighted on Saturday, Adesope said, “The top management of NNPC, other relevant authorities in the downstream sector of the economy as well as all the security agents in the country met at on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 to begin the enforcement of pump price of PMS at N195/litre at all the filling stations across the country with Immediate effect.

“Towards that end, enforcement will commence effective from Monday, February 6, 2023 to enable you to dispose of all your remaining stock on or before the enforcement date.

“Members are hereby implored not to purchase products that they would not be able to dispense at N195/litre. The above information should be given wider spread/circulation in order not to get any member caught unawares. You are strongly advised to heed this information.”

Commenting on this, the national president of IPMAN said the information was in order as he urged other independent marketers to take note.

Ahmed stated, “The information is in order, because the depots that the NNPC gives products to are selling at a higher price, and IPMAN members will not like to leave their stations idle. And to avoid sanctions, it is better to close your station.

“So what is going to happen in essence is that marketers have to buy products using the NNPCL loading tickets, and if they don’t have the tickets, all they have to do is to close down their stations. You have to buy from the NNPCL in order to sell at the government regulated price.”

He said the NNPCL was the only importer and it often gave the product to DAPPMAN to sell to IPMAN members at a regulated rate.

Ahmed added, “They also give the product to MOMAN to sell through the stations of major marketers, but DAPPMAN has to sell to independent marketers because independent marketers do not have depots.

“The 21 NNPCL depots across the country that we rely on before now are all moribund and not working. So right now, we depend on DAPPMAN depots to get our products at the price approved by the NNPCL.

“But most times, DAPPMAN would increase their price and when you buy from them at such a high price, there is no way you are going to sell at a lower price. So, that memo is telling marketers that if they cannot get the NNPCL product to buy at the controlled price, they better not sell to avoid having their stations sealed.”

When asked for the approved price that the government, through the NNPCL, had asked depot owners to sell, Ahmed replied, “In fact, there is a lot of confusion.

“As of today, we are supposed to buy at N172/litre from the NNPCL designated depots run by DAPPMAN. But if you get there at times, you don’t buy at that price; rather, you buy at higher rates.

“Before it was N148/litre, but all of a sudden, the NNPCL just did what it did and increased the price to N172/litre, which was why they said the retail price should now be N185/litre.”

He explained that the N172 ex-depot price was without the cost of conveying petrol to wherever the marketer was taking the product to.

“If you are taking it further than 400 kilometres from the place of purchase, you are going to get the bridging claims or price equalisation. But if you are taking it within 120 kilometres or around that distance, you will get some little allowance to make you sell at a controlled price.

“But, the truth is that we don’t get the product at the controlled price of N172, which is why you see a lot of areas where they sell at higher prices.

“However, for MOMAN, because they get it at the controlled price, they take it from their depots to their stations and sell it at lower prices compared to independent marketers. Mind you, independent marketers control about 80 per cent of retail outlets in Nigeria.”

In Lagos, most of the outlets that sold the product on Saturday had long queues of desperate motorists, with some selling for between N280 and N350 per litre.

A similar situation was prevalent in Ogun State, where motorists struggled to get petrol from the few filling stations that had the product. Some stations on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway sold the product for between N320 and N380 per litre.

A commercial motorist, Idris Adewale, said he had banked on getting petrol at the Nipco filling station at Magboro for N195 per litre, but was disappointed to discover that the station was under lock and key. He also claimed that the Rainoil station at Ibafo did not sell the product and he only succeeded in filling his vehicle’s tank before the Sagamu interchange for N340 per litre.

A desperate motorist, Nnamdi Goodman, claimed to have bought 10 litres for N7,000 on Airport Road in Lagos on Saturday.

On Thursday, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, disclosed that several measures were being taken to enforce the approved price of petrol and to stop the diversion of the product.

The NMDPRA boss, while speaking on sanctions against downstream operators who flouted the approved regulations, stated that over 270 filling stations and seven depots had been closed down.

“On top of shutting the depots, we also shut down over 270 retail outlets. We are doing our work and this has brought some respite in some areas,” Ahmed stated.

On his part, Kyari said the Federal Government was now deploying operatives of the Department of State Services to monitor tankers conveying petrol to filling stations in order to halt the diversion and smuggling of the product.

He stated that already, over 120 DSS officers had been deployed to follow fuel tankers to the various retail outlets in Abuja, as more security agencies were being drafted for the exercise for nationwide coverage.

“So much is going on; there are government security interventions. I know the kind of work that we do with the security agencies; for instance, in Abuja alone, we have over 120 DSS officers following every truck to fuel stations and we are activating this across the country,” Kyari said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states, Mr Chinedu Anyaso, has said the prevailing shortage in the supply of PMS in the South-East may not end soon because of the challenges facing marketers in procuring the product.

He said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka on Saturday.

NAN reports that petrol now sells for between N400 and N450 per litre and between N500 and N600 in the black market in Akwa, Anambra State.

As of Saturday, most filling stations in the city were closed for lack of petrol, while the few that had the product were selling at very high prices with long queues of motorists.

Anyaso said the quantity of the product coming to the South-East had reduced by more than 50 per cent compared to the supply in normal time.

According to him, at the moment, nothing suggests the easing of the problems as some of the marketers have yet to get supplies they paid for over a month ago, except the Federal Government takes a drastic action to flood the country with the product.

Anyaso stated, “Our members, who got NNPC allocation last year, paid for the product since December, up till now they have not received their supply; rather, they asked them to pay additional money for which most of them made overdraft of between N1.4m and N1.6m.

“As you can see, most filling stations in the zone have shut down because they can no longer source petrol normally, those that have, pay through their nose to get it; that is why there are abnormal rates because they have to recover their cost and make some profits.

“It is impossible for the authorities to enforce price now; our people are making extra effort to ensure that we have the product to buy even if it is expensive.”

Anyaso said in addition to the hardship the people were facing as a result of scarcity and high prices, thousands of workers stood to lose their jobs if the problems persisted as no marketer would continue to pay workers when they were not in business.

N195/Per Litre’ Independent Marketers To Shut Down Filling Stations Nationwide Monday

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UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬‭

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UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬

By: Michael Mike

‭ In a decisive step to reverse land degradation, 39 land restoration projects ‬led by grassroots organisations have been awarded ‭USD 395,000  ‬through the inaugural Small Grants Programme of the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI), a flagship initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Drawn from 22 countries, the winning projects were selected for their innovation, impact and sustainability. Over 650 organisations from more than 100 countries applied for the award. The winners were selected following three rounds of review by separate UNCCD staff teams, with varied expertise in land management and restoration.

Awardees will receive between ‭US‬$5,000 and ‭US‬$15,000 to fund grassroots efforts that boost local economies, improve food and water security and strengthen ecosystem resilience. 

The announcement was livestreamed‭ ‬at an event showcasing the grant winners. 

The Small Grants Programme is ‭ ‬an ‭ ‬important tool for achieving the ‭G20 GLI’s mission of ‬reducing degraded land by 50 percent by 2040.

‭Speaking during the award ceremony, ‬ Director of the G20 Global Land Initiative,‭Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy‬, said: “We are aware that these big numbers, cannot be achieved by small initiatives alone. Yet, we feel, it is important that tens of thousands of small actors, engaged in land restoration around the world, be ‭supported, promoted and recognized,”‬

Special priority was given to organisations accredited to UNCCD and to projects empowering Indigenous Peoples, youth, women and the elder‭ly‬. 

The ‭ ‬programme ‭ ‬was ‭ ‬set ‭ ‬up ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬2024 ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬support ‭ ‬community-level ‭ ‬non-profit ‭ ‬organisations worldwide. According to a statement, by directly supporting civil society and grassroot actors, these grants will generate measurable progress ‭ ‬across ‭ ‬global ‭aided ‬restoration ‭ ‬priorities, ‭ ‬such ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬soil ‭ ‬fertility ‭ ‬enhancement, ‭ ‬forest regeneration, sustainable agriculture, agroecology and ecosystem-based adaptation. 

The statement added that beyond reclaiming ‭ ‬land, ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬projects ‭ ‬are ‭ ‬enhancing ‭ ‬livelihoods, ‭ ‬strengthening ‭ ‬community climate resilience, and fostering social enterprise and ‭eco‬-preneurship.

“When we do these small grants program, it is not just about the grant. It’s about the ‭network ‬which we create and the visibility it provides ‭—‬ both for those within it and those outside who can benefit from their knowledge and experience‭,”‬ Thummarukudy added. 

Three of the highest-scoring projects were showcased at the UNCCD Conference of the Parties held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, to highlight the‭ir‬ potential for scaling and replication across regions. 

The statement also revealed that winners will also be showcased at select high-level events in the future, stating that the G20 GLI is committed to inclusive and continuous engagement, and is exploring future 
collaboration opportunities for the applicants not selected in this round.

Stressing ‭that “this is just the beginning, this will be an annual process, the next cohort is about ‬to start,‭” ‬Dr Thummarukudy invited community organisations doing land restoration to apply to join the network because both “big and small” [efforts] are important.‭ ‬

He noted that the second ‭ ‬call ‭ ‬for ‭ ‬applications ‭ ‬will ‭ ‬open ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬2025 ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬increased ‭ ‬funding ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬expanded 
support for grassroots restoration efforts worldwide. 

Innovative ‭ ‬community-led ‭ ‬restoration ‭ ‬initiatives ‭ ‬are ‭ ‬essential ‭ ‬for ‭ ‬creating ‭ ‬green ‭ ‬jobs, especially for youth and women..The awards provide support that can transform restoration into a catalyst for economic opportunity and sustainable environmental management.

Examples of selected 2024 grantees include‭: ‬ Legacy of War Foundation (Rwanda), ‭which will restore six hectares of degraded soil while ‬empowering ‭ ‬90 ‭ ‬women ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬landowners ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬fully organic cooperative ‭ ‬farms. ‭ ‬By ‭ ‬integrating climate-smart ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬artisanal farming methods, the project aims ‭ ‬to improve soil fertility and agricultural resilience in post-conflict rural communities. 
Up2Green Foundation (India)‭ is restoring mangroves and riverbanks in Tamil Nadu, India. ‬The project is reforesting 60 hectares and planting 15,000 fruit trees, enhancing biodiversity, strengthening coastal resilience ‭ ‬for flood prevention, and training local ‭ ‬communities in sustainable agroforestry practices. 
Sustainability ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬Environmental ‭ ‬Studies ‭ ‬Endeavor ‭ ‬(Nepal)‭ is working to restore ‬
ecological ‭ ‬balance along the mythological ‭ ‬Nagaraj Trail. By ‭ ‬revitalizing ‭ ‬degraded ‭ ‬farms, wetlands and forests using nature-based solutions, the project promotes ‭ ‬nature-inclusive agriculture and convivial conservation approaches. 

The G20 Global Land Initiative was launched in 2020 under the Saudi G20 Presidency. Hosted by the UNCCD, its ambition is to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040. By showcasing 
land restoration, empowering civil society, engaging the private sector and building capacity, G20 GLI is driving restoration to scale and energizing a restoration economy. The Small Grants Programme is a key component of this vision, empowering civil society to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable land management at scale.

UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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