Despite the efforts of NNPC Ltd to flood the domestic market with petrol, long queues remained at many filling stations in Lagos and environs, yesterday.

The company had attributed the emergence of queues to distribution hitches, which were further worsened by the demand of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO for settlement of freight debt.

However, a visit by Vanguard to Satellite and other depots indicated that operators have resumed operations at the end of NARTO strike, leading to increased lifting of petrol and other petroleum products.

It showed that the NNPC Ltd and the major energy marketers that have petrol were open, selling at N568 per litre and N620 per litre respectively to motorists and others.

But their independent counterparts were selling at exorbitant prices, ranging from between N700 and N900 per litre, showing about N270 per litres more than the current N630 per litre depot price.

Independent marketers, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, attributed the high prices of petrol to the high price of diesel, currently being sold at N1,500 per litre.

According to them, it costs millions of Naira to procure adequate diesel, required to lift petrol from one part of the nation to another.

Source: Vanguard