Economy
Nigeria Hit with the Worst Fuel Scarcity Yet
Nigeria is the main oil producer in Africa and is currently the continent’s largest crude oil exporter. This status however holds no value for Nigerians who have now been accustomed to fuel scarcity in varying degrees being a constant challenge.
In 2024 alone, the country has been hit with two fuel scarcity crises. The first occurred from April to May when the fuel cost increased by 68.01% on a year-on-year basis from N842. 25 per litre in April 2023 to N1415. 06 per litre in April 2024. The second crisis is ongoing. It has seen the petrol price rise to N1,050 per liter in a matter of days from the average of N770.54 recorded in July 2024. This fuel scarcity is another addition to the ongoing cost of living crisis Africa’s largest economy is experiencing.
Nigeria’s Cost of Living Crisis Continues to Soar
During his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu announced an end to fuel subsidies in the country, citing that continuing subsidies were unsustainable and a drain on public finances. The president acknowledged in another address on June 12, 2023, that although halting the subsidies added a burden on the people of Nigeria it was crucial to the country’s economic survival. Over a year after this bold move by the government, most Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet sparking protests across the country.
NOIPolls, an independent pollster in West Africa disclosed in 2023 that 63% of adult Nigerians surveyed across the country desire to relocate to other countries. The lack of economic opportunities is the primary motivator for leaving Nigeria. As the “Japa”— a colloquial term for emigration— itch among Nigerians intensifies, the youth who can’t leave have sought to earn an income remotely working for foreign companies, gambling on international online casinos, and working multiple low-level jobs.
The prices of food, cooking gas, medication, and public transport have risen since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. This rising cost of living has been a result of the naira’s poor performance against the dollar and the instability of the country’s economy. Nigerians have had to survive through high levels of inflation not experienced before in the country for three decades.
According to the World Food Programme, 26.5 million people across the country are projected to face acute hunger between June and August 2024. This is an almost 40% increase from the 18.6 million Nigerians recorded to have faced food insecurity at the end of 2023. This new fuel scarcity crisis has seen Nigerians make long queues at filling stations to access petrol, led to significant increases in transport fares, and resulted in losses for businesses that rely on fuel to power them.
NNPC Explains Cause of Current Fuel Scarcity
In response to rising concerns about fuel scarcity in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) through Dapo Segun, the Vice President, attributed the ongoing fuel scarcity to the impact of the recent heavy rains, lightning, and thunderstorms across the country. Mr Segun explained that the rains had caused saltation in the Estragos channel making navigation difficult and thus hindering the transportation of petroleum products across the country. Additionally, Seun reported that fuel discharge from both onshore and tankers had been suspended occasionally due to lightning and thunderstorms. These three natural extreme weather conditions have made distributing petroleum products across the country challenging.
As the NNPCL vows to resolve the fuel scarcity crisis soon, Nigerians are looking to two other refineries that were set to begin operations to ease the cost of fuel burden. The Dangote Refinery is expected to begin selling petrol in Nigeria by the end of this August. The chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Danknote, who had committed to this milestone is positive that his company will meet the target. Additionally, the Port Harcourt refinery is expected to be operational and supplying petroleum products across the country by September 2024 as assured by the group chief executive officer of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari. This will be the third time the refinery’s operational month has been moved this year following its mechanical completion in December 2023.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on the other hand, has accused the NNPCL of actively contributing to fuel scarcity by failing to provide petroleum products to its members even after payment. IPMAN disclosed that even though payment to the state oil company was made three months ago members have been forced to purchase petroleum products from private depots whose prices are significantly higher. IPMAN is now calling on the government and other key stakeholders in the oil industry to intervene in the situation to lessen these hardships.
Citizens of Africa’s largest crude oil producer and exporter are now no longer surprised by fuel scarcity in their cities. While many try to find ways to survive under the new economic hardships, others opt to leave the country in search of greener pastures. It is evident that Africa’s largest economy is on the brink of collapsing should the government not turn around the economic situation soon.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared a total of N1.678 trillion in March 2025 to the three tiers of government as federation allocation from the revenue generated by the nation in February 2025.
A statement from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) after its meeting for this month, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, disclosed that the amount generated stood at N2.344 trillion, comprising Gross Statutory Revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), an argumentation of N178 billion and revenues from Solid Minerals.
It was revealed that the federal government was given N569.656 billion, the states received N562.195 billion, the local government councils got N410.559 billion, while the oil-producing states shared N136.042 billion as 13 per cent derivation of mineral revenue.
The statement further disclosed that VAT for the month was N609.430 billion versus N771.886 billion in the preceding month, with the federal government receiving N91.415 billion, the states getting N304.715 billion, and the councils sharing N213.301 billion.
FAAC presented N1.653 trillion as gross statutory revenue for last month, lower than the N1.848 trillion recorded a month earlier, with N61.449 billion used for the cost of collection and N736.249 billion for transfers, intervention and refunds.
When the balance of N827.633 billion was shared, the federal government got N366.262 billion, the states received N185.773 billion, and the councils got N143.223 billion, while the oil-producing states shared N132.374 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
Also, the sum of N35.171 billion from EMTL was distributed, with the federal government receiving N5.276 billion, the states sharing N17.585 billion, and the local government councils getting N12.310 billion, while N1.465 billion was for the cost of collection.
Further, N28.218 billion was generated from solid minerals and the central government got N12.933 billion, the states received N6.560 billion, the LGCs got N5.057 billion, and the oil-producing states shared N3.668 billion.
In addition, from the N178 billion augmentation, the national government received N93.770 billion, the states got N47.562 billion, and the local councils received N36.668 billion.
It was observed that revenues from VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax, Companies Income Tax, excise duty, import duty and CET Levies declined in February, while earnings from EMTL and oil and gas royalty increased significantly.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel exported from the Dangote refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, have arrived at US ports, according to data from ship-tracking service, Kpler.
It was reported that another vessel, Hafnia Andromeda, is set to arrive at the Everglades terminal on March 29 with a load of about 348,000 barrels of jet fuel, the data showed.
US jet fuel imports are set to hit a two-year high in March after the refinery pushed barrels to North America and Europe.
Total US jet fuel imports so far in March stood at around 226,000 barrels per day, the most since February 2023, the data showed.
The development comes amid controversies surrounding the sale and availability of crude oil to the refinery and Premium Motor Spirit or petrol supply to the Nigerian market.
Nigeria’s decision to cancel the Naira-for-crude deal with the refinery has since created panic in the hearts of marketers and consumers alike.
The 650,000 barrels per day refinery has also suspended selling petrol in Naira to marketers.
It lamented that there was a mismatch between its sales proceeds and its crude oil purchase obligations, which it said are currently denominated in US Dollars.
“Dear valued customers, we wish to inform you that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has temporarily halted the sale of petroleum products in naira. This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars.
“To date, our sales of petroleum products in naira have exceeded the value of naira-denominated crude we have received. As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the firm announced.
The announcement has since triggered a rise in the cost of loading petrol at private depots in Lagos to about N900 per litre from below N850 per litre before.
The Dangote refinery started production last January after years of construction delays and ramped up to about 85 per cent of capacity in early February, allowing it to sell more fuel to international markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange crumbled by 0.57 per cent on Monday, March 24 after four stocks on the trading platform closed lower.
Okitipupa Plc gave up N22.66 during the session to settle at N285.00 per unit compared with the N307.66 per unit it was sold last Friday, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc lost 17 Kobo to trade at N37.00 per share versus N37.17 per share, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 14 Kobo to close at N1.35 per unit compared with the preceding session’s N1.49 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc declined by 2 Kobo to finish at 35 Kobo per share, in contrast to the preceding trading day’s 37 Kobo per share.
Conversely, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc improved its value by 69 Kobo to sell at N23.53 per unit versus N22.84 per unit and UBN Property Plc gained 20 Kobo to quote at N2.20 per share, in contrast to the previous value of N2.00 per share.
When the bourse ended for the session, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went down by 19.09 points to 3,339.52 points from the previous trading day’s 3,358.61 points, and the market capitalisation shrank by N11.03 billion to N1.928 trillion from N1.939 trillion.
The volume of securities traded at the NASD yesterday rose by 216.1 per cent to 961,456 units from the 304,188 units recorded last Friday, and the value of securities went up by 116.3 per cent to N22.1 million from N10.2 million, while the number of deals depreciated by 31.3 per cent to 22 deals from 32 deals.
Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, followed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 13.3 million units valued at N513.7 million, and Afriland Properties Plc with 17.6 million units sold for N360.1 million.
Impresit Bakolori Plc was also the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units valued at N520.9 million, trailed by IGI Plc with 70.0 million units sold for N23.8 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 44.1 million units worth N88.9 million.
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