As Nigerians grapple with a persistent fuel crisis, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has suspended fresh petrol orders by shutting down its application portal for marketers.
This drastic move comes in response to a substantial backlog that has yet to be cleared.
Currently, marketers report that they are unable to access the portal through which they typically apply to NNPC for petrol purchases. These marketers usually place bids for PMS via the NNPC portal, with payments processed through the same channel, often waiting months to receive the product.
According to The PUNCH, independent marketers claim that NNPC owes them billions of naira, citing instances where they paid for fuel but received no deliveries after three months. Recently, representatives from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) indicated that NNPC had ceased loading trucks for its members, particularly following the recent rise in petrol prices.
IPMAN members are responsible for operating over 70 percent of the nation’s filling stations. They voiced their frustrations about NNPC’s neglect, having settled payments for petrol nearly two months ago. Consequently, many have turned to private depots, which charge higher rates.
When approached by our correspondent, NNPC confirmed the suspension of its petrol purchasing portal, offering an explanation.
The company’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, stated that the closure was necessary to manage the significant backlog. “This decision prevents us from holding marketers’ capital for extended periods,” Soneye clarified.
He assured marketers that the portal would reopen once the backlog is adequately addressed. “We are working diligently to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, and the portal will reopen once the backlog is sufficiently reduced,” he stated.
Soneye, however, did not disclose the total amount represented by the backlog.
