James Tor, the National Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has attributed the ongoing fuel scarcity in Nigeria to the Israel-Iran crisis.
This shortage has triggered prolonged queues at gas stations, frenzied purchasing, and a surge in transportation costs.
Speaking on ARISE TV, Tor emphasized the federal government’s responsibility in importing and distributing petroleum products, including allocating them to stakeholders like IPMAN.
He pointed out that the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have exacerbated existing challenges, causing disruptions in the supply chain.
Nonetheless, Tor acknowledged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s efforts to address the issue by opening depots to ensure a consistent product supply.
He said, “The people that bring in the petroleum products into the country is the federal government. And when they bring in these products, they give us the stakeholders (which the IPMAN is one of) for distribution. So it’s what we get that we can give out. If there are no products, then we can’t give out anything.
“But the federal government is doing much. Because even on Monday, my National President was explaining that the NNPC had opened up some of their depots so we can have enough products supplied and distributed to the public.
“The president of IPMAN called me earlier and informed me on the increase in supply. So what we are witnessing is just a breach of what is going on.
“And what is going on? You see, the crises that are going on in the Middle East. The crisis between Israel and Iran is also affecting the distribution of fuel. All these things if you put them together, affect supply and distribution of petroleum products.”
