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Talking on the ongoing 2024 PENGASSAN Power and Labour Summit in Abuja on Thursday, Osifo recognized weak and outdated distribution chains as a purpose for the queues.
“The distribution chain is weak within the downstream sector of the oil and gasoline trade. That’s the reason at this time, you see queues in a lot of the stations. The issue could also be solved at this time, however it’s going to resurface tomorrow.
“Nigeria’s distribution chain is outdated and inadequate to fulfill the calls for of its giant inhabitants. There isn’t any nation on the earth as huge 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 mentioned.
NAN reported that Osifo additionally attributed inadequate provide of gas throughout the filling stations within the nation to unhealthy roads and flooding, resulting in shortage.
The PENGASSAN president referred to as for pressing reforms to handle the problem.
He additionally referred to 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 gas shortages.
He mentioned 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 increased than in different components of the world.
He mentioned the excessive manufacturing value is partly as a result of burden of safety within the oil and gasoline corporations.
He urged the federal government to take over the safety obligations from buyers, to considerably scale back manufacturing prices.
He additionally referred to 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 unhealthy behaviours and encourage integrity inside the trade.