Long fuel queues around the country would soon disappear as marketers begin “massive loading” of petroleum products to filling stations.

This was the assurance given by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

On Wednesday, Ahmed Farouk, chief executive of NMDPRA, led the staff of the agency on a stock monitoring exercise within depots in Lagos. They were at NIPCO, Total, Aiteo, OVH, Conoil, 11 Plc and HOGL depots in Apapa for an on-the-spot assessment.

Mr Farouk said the stock-taking exercise was to ensure the availability and effective distribution of petroleum products across the nation to reduce queues at filling stations.

“With the issue of scarcity across the nation, l found it necessary that NMDPRA come and ensure that there is even distribution of petroleum products across the nation, especially petrol.

“The current distribution of petrol across the nation will address the issue of tightness in the market,” he said. 

The NMDPRA boss said all depots in Apapa had products and were loading massively to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other states.

He said three vessels were also discharging petrol at Apapa jetty to MOMAN, DAPPMAN and other depots. 

Mr Farouk urged Nigerians not to panic and avoid panic buying while assuring them of the availability of sufficient products at filling stations across the country.

According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) stock report shows that there is enough product in the country.

“The major challenge was logistics between mother vessels and that of the import vessel into the depots. 

“We have gone round Apapa depots; five out of six depots visited had full stock, and they are loading massively,” the NMDPRA boss said. 

He assured Nigerians of sufficient products during the yuletide.

“We have enough stock on shuttle vessels coming into the depots, the depots visited are loading between 70 and120 trucks daily.

“Many of the depots visited are loading to distribute to the northern, eastern and Port Harcourt axis,” he said. 

On marketers selling above regulated prices, Mr Farouk said, “It was an allegation which we are investigating and need to confirm.”

Suresh Kumar, the managing director of NIPCO Plc, said the company had about 28 million litres in stock and has commenced loading to all NIPCO stations across the country.

Mr Kumar said the supply and allocation of petrol had improved drastically, and the company hoped it would continue to ease the situation.

“Our product turnout has also been steady for the last couple of days. We have been loading five million litres per day, and we expect this trend to continue for the next one week,” he said. 

(NAN)