Fuel Shortages Are Expected As Fuel Tanker Drivers Cease Operations

Nigeria is facing a fuel shortage as a result of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, or NARTO, suspending operations across the country on Monday, February 19, citing low freight rates and excessive operating expenses as the cause of the suffering.

Service withdrawal will begin on Monday, according to a recent letter from the national president, Yusuf Lawal Othman, to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, or NUPENG.

The Association claimed that despite its best efforts, it had not been successful in negotiating reasonable and equivalent freight rates for its operations with the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) and other significant industry players.

Since NARTO controls more than 80% of Nigeria’s petroleum transportation, the notice of withdrawal of their services and operations foreshadows grave consequences for the nation’s supply and distribution of petroleum products.

NARTO stated that it was forced to notify NUPENG that its National Executive Council, or NEC, had decided to order all of its members to refrain from using their petroleum trucks for activities related to loading petroleum products as of Monday, February 19, 2024.

To ensure adequate and prompt compliance with the directive, the group appealed to its employees, who are members of NUPENG, asking them to demonstrate maximum cooperation, support, and understanding of its collective efforts for the continued sustainability of the petroleum haulage business and effective service delivery.

The employees bemoaned the fact that, given the current state of the nation’s economy, they could not carry on with the firm.

The Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (MMDPRA), and the executive secretary of MEMAN were also copied on the notice of withdrawal of activities.