The President of the Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Senior Affiliation of Nigeria, Mr Festus Osifo, has recognized causes for persistent queues in filling stations throughout the nation.
Talking on the ongoing 2024 PENGASSAN Power and Labour Summit in Abuja on Thursday, Osifo recognized weak and outdated distribution chains as a motive for the queues.
“The distribution chain is weak within the downstream sector of the oil and fuel business. That’s the reason immediately, you see queues in a lot of the stations. The issue could also be solved immediately, however it’ll resurface tomorrow.
“Nigeria’s distribution chain is outdated and inadequate to satisfy the calls for of its massive inhabitants. There isn’t a nation on the earth as large as Nigeria, with our inhabitants, that depends on a single level of product importation and makes use of vehicles to distribute throughout the nation,” he stated.
NAN reported that Osifo additionally attributed inadequate provide of gasoline throughout the filling stations within the nation to dangerous roads and flooding, resulting in shortage.
The PENGASSAN president known as for pressing reforms to deal with the problem.
He additionally known as on the federal government to develop and strengthen the nation’s worth chain to make sure a extra environment friendly and dependable distribution system.
Osifo famous that with out the enhancements, the nation would proceed to face recurring gasoline shortages.
He stated different challenges within the sector included the excessive value of native manufacturing, which in keeping with him, is 15 per cent to twenty per cent larger than in different components of the world.
He stated the excessive manufacturing value is partly because of the burden of safety within the oil and fuel firms.
He urged the federal government to take over the safety duties from traders, to considerably scale back manufacturing prices.
He additionally known as on the federal government to strengthen legal guidelines and sanctions in opposition to these concerned in oil theft.
Osifo advocated harsher penalties to discourage dangerous behaviours and encourage integrity inside the business.
