Oil marketers in the country have commenced loading of petrol in Apapa, Lagos as the major depots.
Several fuel tankers were seen loading the premium motor spirit (MPS) yesterday at various jetties and tank farms including those belonging to NIPCO, Folawiyo, Capital Oil, Rahamaniya, De Jones and Integrated Oil.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachickwu, last week assured Nigerians that the persistent petrol scarcity would end by yesterday, April 7.
But some of the depot owners, who spoke with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY, doubted the feasibility of the April 7 target, due to the huge logistics involved in moving the petroleum products across the country.
“Don’t forget them these products have to be distributed to the various filling stations across the country by road. It’s a logistics nightmare,” a depot owner who craved anonymity told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY.
He said no fewer than four shiploads of petrol were being discharged at the jetties in Apapa, while findings revealed that at least seven other ship loads are expected to discharge more products between today and tomorrow.
Nigeria Port Authority (NPA’s) daily publication of operational activities listed the vessels expected as Oceana with 24,000 metric tonnes of PMS, Han Scholl with 31,123 metric tonnes, Nina with 329,000 metric tonnes and Champion with 23,000 metric tonnes.
Others are Torm trinity with 30,000 metric tonnes and Cumbria with 10282 metric tonnes.
23 other ships laden with food items, containers, general cargoes among others are also expected to arrive the port between April 8 and April 26.
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