By Prince Iroka
Early hopes of an end to fuel scarcity was heightened yesterday, as the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery began the lifting of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS), popularly called petrol.
The commencement of lifting of petrol which commenced at about 1.40pm has put an end to speculations and anxiety among stakeholders and Nigerians especially as to when to expect the first Dangote petrol at retail outlets.
Speaking at the refinery plant during an inspection of loading activities at the gantry, Vice President, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Edwin Devakumar, said the gantry has the capacity to load 2,900 trucks daily with 40 trucks simultaneously in 40 minutes.
An elated Devakumar, said for 52 years the country has battled with petroleum products shortages, assuring that the production capacity at the refinery was capable of meeting the petroleum products needs of Nigeria with a huge surplus to export.
“Today is a moment of pride for every Nigerian because this is a Nigerian-owned refinery built by a Nigerian EPC contractor producing petrol for Nigeria alongside other petroleum product.This is the largest single train refinery in the world and we are very excited about it.
He, however, assured that the influx of petrol tankers on the road should not be a concern, saying production evacuation is a blend of trucking and vessel.
According to him, for products going to coastal locations such as Calabar, Delta among other places, products could be moved through the waterways using vessels while those within Lagos and neigbouring states would be through trucking.
He said the company has received proposals from firms to build pipeline for product evcuatiuon, which he said is alo a viable option that could be explored.
He said the NNPC Ltd could take the lead in that regard by constructing pipelines to serve its depots in Mosimi, Ogun State and Atlas Cove in Lagos to ease transportation of petroleum products.
Similarly, some marketers who spoke to Daily Sun in confidence said there are no immediate plans to return to petroleum product importation, saying the sector was not yet fully deregulated.
“As you can see NNPC is the sole offtaker from Dangote refinery. That tells you we are still operating the old order of NNPC being a monopoly. All other marketers will have to buy from NNPC. They will be the ones to fix the price.
As at today, NNPC retail outlets are selling petrol at N855 per litre which is far below the landing cost of petrol which is around N1,200 per litre. This is one of the reason Dangote has failed to tell Nigerians the actual cost of its petrol. But from our findings, his petrol cannot be less than N1,250 per litre. Technically, NNPC would still be subsidizing the product for Nigerians and that is why they are the sole offtaker,”
If we dare import today, who will buy from us? Our price cannot in anyway be cheaper than what you will get at NNPC filling station. That means we will run into losses because the market is not yet competitive,’’.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government said it has devised a comprehensive traffic management strategy to guarantee free traffic flow along the Lekki-Ajah corridor ahead of the refinery’s commencement of the distribution of refined petrol to outlets.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Sola Giwa, made this known in a statement issued yesterday to reaffirm the state government’s commitment to safeguarding citizens’ welfare and maintaining orderly traffic.
He confirmed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) had been fortified with state-of-the-art equipment and trained personnel to be strategically deployed to oversee and regulate traffic flow within the affected areas.
Giwa promised the residents and commuters in the Lekki-Ajah vicinity that thorough preparations had been made, urging them to remain calm and confident in the state government’s capabilities.
The statement added: “In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, LASTMA has mobilised advanced tow trucks and emergency response equipment to promptly address anticipated potential traffic disruptions. Medical ambulance services are also on high alert to ensure rapid response in emergencies.
