FILE: NNPC depot with fuel tankers awaiting loading Given that several filling stations were closed in different parts of the state on Monday, petroleum product marketers are worried that the alleged harassment of tanker drivers by Lagos State Government officials may result in a fuel shortage in the coming days. Additionally, they threatened to halt operations in the South-West in the event that the 30 tankers that the Lagos State Government had detained were not freed.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
This occurred after the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers issued a warning that a nationwide shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also referred to as cooking gas, could result from unlawful charges imposed on petroleum product trucks by Lagos State Government agencies. The Lagos State Government was criticized by the oil marketers for reportedly encroaching on the tanker drivers’ park on the Dangote refinery route in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in order to tow away cars.
According to them, at around two in the morning on Saturday, thirty tankers carrying 45,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit were towed out of the Dangote facility. Due to alleged harassment from Federal Ministry of Transportation and Lagos State Government officials, the tanker drivers have halted fuel loading. On Saturday and Sunday, truck drivers were unable to load fuel, which raised concerns about shortages in Lagos and neighboring states. On Monday, they failed to load as well.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, the tanker drivers declined to carry fuel on Monday out of concern that the government task force might harass or arrest them. Hammed Fashola, the National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, told our correspondent on Monday that the scenario had an impact on the association’s members because the majority of the trucks were owned by marketers.
Fashola criticized the government’s move and suggested that a discussion with midstream and downstream parties should have taken place. He claimed that at around two in the morning last Thursday, government authorities broke into the trailer packing area and stole numerous trucks, both loaded and unloaded. Since we own the majority of these trucks and some of the IPMAN members even own the goods, this is having a significant impact on us. As a result, we are greatly impacted and dissatisfied with the Lagos State Government’s actions. Therefore, communication is necessary if there is anything.
In order to arrest those trucks, the task force arrived there around two in the morning. Additionally, we instructed that the majority of our tankers not to travel at night. In order for them to take out, possibly as early as 5 am, they all loaded and parked. However, the task force went to the Dangote refinery Road and towed every truck. What the government is complaining about is unknown to us. We will understand the motivation for the action when they call a meeting,” Fashola said.
He insisted that unless anything is done immediately, there will be a shortage of fuel since truck drivers won’t be able to deliver it for days. “The filling stations are still selling, but when their tanks are empty in a few days, they won’t have anything to sell,” he stated. There may, of course, be a shortage of fuel. We haven’t shut down our stations, but what will we do if we run out of supplies? He inquired.
According to the IPMAN head, the task force “would have done something more reasonable than going there to tow away all the trucks.” He went on to say, “Instead of doing so, they are challenged to voice their complaints if they have any.” Therefore, I’m confident that they will schedule a meeting so that we can understand their motivation.
Fashola requested that the state government supply a different truck park after learning that it had insisted on using its e-call-up system. “Have they shown you where the tankers will park in their own park? Without provisions, a law cannot be effective. “You need to locate a contemporary park when you suggest that no one should park vehicles anywhere, even by the road. None of these things exist. Since this activity is unnecessary, we will speak one-on-one when we see them or when they call a meeting, even though we don’t want to talk much.
“Regardless of the content, a vehicle currently costs at least N150 million. At least N50m worth of content is included. Without considering safety or the possibility of an explosion, the task team went there at midnight and towed them. It’s quite risky. However, he said, “I don’t understand how government officials, especially in Lagos, could behave in this way.” LASG responds Bolanle Ogunlola, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, said in a statement that the government had detained 11 vehicles on suspicion of attacking its staff.
According to the government’s announcement, the e-call-up system’s enforcement started on January 24, 2025, when ten trucks were detained but later released as a gesture of goodwill by the state government after the stakeholders promised to adapt by implementing the e-call-up system. The government’s support for deliberate compliance is further demonstrated by the fact that 11 trucks were arrested for non-compliance on Friday, February 21, 2025, which resulted in an attack on the enforcement officers and the arrest of some suspects related to the attack. Nevertheless, the trucks and suspects were all released.
The state government cautions that these mercy measures shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign of government weakness. The axis’s stakeholders are warned that on March 1, 2025, a comprehensive enforcement process will begin. Every offender will be caught and subjected to the full force of the law. The statement ended, “The Lagos State Government is still dedicated to creating an environment that is favorable to the prosperity of all parties located and functioning along the Lekki-Epe axis, and, consequently, the state overall.”
Lack of cooking gas A nationwide shortage of liquefied petroleum gas, also referred to as cooking gas, might result from Lagos State Government agencies imposing unlawful fees on petroleum product trucks, according to a warning from the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers. In a statement released on Monday, NALPGAM President Abideen Olatunbosun sounded the alarm, warning that if government officials continue to harass truck drivers and impose levies, it could severely impair the distribution of LPG and have dire repercussions for both households and companies. The group claims that since February 22, 2025, truck drivers have abstained from loading at the Dangote Refinery in protest of what they call “extortion” by regulatory bodies about commuting taxes.
Olatunbosun stated that “there is an imminent scarcity of cooking gas looming in the country,” warning that the commuting charges imposed on truck drivers of gasoline products may lead to an LPG shortage. In an effort to raise money, the Lagos State Government has levied commuting fees on vehicles carrying petroleum products, including LPG, that enter and exit the state.
Since Saturday, February 22, 2025, loading operations at the Dangote Refinery have been paralyzed by their actions. If the government does not act quickly, the truck drivers’ boycott of the refinery due to the extortion by these organizations will cause a widespread shortage of cooking gas. In order to prevent a crisis, the association urged Lagos State officials, Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) to act immediately.
“It is crucial that these organizations stop harassing tanker drivers and stop collecting unlawful fees. If permitted to continue, the strike action that is currently hurting loadings at all of Lagos’ terminals might expand to other states of the Federation, which would have a significant impact on the country’s economy and citizens’ quality of life, the NAPGALM president said.
According to NALPGAM, cooking gas costs have been declining since December 2024. This comes after an earlier spike that caused the retail price of LPG to reach almost N2,000 per kilogram, with a 20-metric-ton truck reaching a top of over N24 million. Olatunbosun claims that the price of LPG dropped to about N16 million per 20MT truck as a result of Ekpo’s involvement and Dangote refinery’s entry into the domestic market, greatly increasing affordability for Nigerian families.
The group did, however, issue a warning that these achievements could be undone and the current stability in the cooking gas market reversed due to the truck drivers’ continuous strike action. Stations in the South-West Since some filling stations were closed in the area on Monday, the IPMAN South-West Zone threatened to cease operations throughout the region if the tankers that were seized were not released.
In an interview with reporters in the capital of Oyo State, Ibadan, on Monday, IPMAN Western Zone Chairman Joseph Akanni disclosed this. “An injury to one is an injury to all,” Akanni said, expressing the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers and other industry stakeholders about the matter.
In a similar vein, Yusuf Othman, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, voiced his displeasure over the alleged extortion of tanker owners and drivers by Lagos State officials and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. He questioned why roughly 20 trucks were impounded and stated that the e-call-up system would not start until March 1.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
