The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has closed its petrol application portal, preventing independent marketers from placing fresh orders for fuel.
This comes amid the persistent fuel crisis in Nigeria, as marketers complain about significant delays in fuel supply despite having paid months in advance.
Some claim that NNPC owes them billions of naira, with no clear timeline for when their orders will be fulfilled.
Independent marketers, who run over 70% of the country’s filling stations, have turned to private depots, where fuel is sold at higher prices, driving petrol costs up to N1,000 per litre in certain locations. The transportation costs across Nigeria have doubled, further impacting daily life.
The NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, confirmed that the portal closure was necessary to address the backlog and prevent holding marketers’ capital for too long. He assured the public that the portal will be reopened once the backlog has been reduced, but no specific timeline was provided.
Despite some reduction in fuel queues, Nigerians continue to face unaffordable fuel prices and increased living costs.