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FUEL SCARCITY: Nigerian Airlines give 3 days to shut down, want rights to import jet fuel

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2022

The effect of recent fuel scarcity in Nigeria is hitting harder on citizens of the West African country as its airline operators on Monday said they have only three more days to fly due to the high cost of aviation fuel.

The scarcity began in the first week of February 2022 when the Nigerian government says it found an unsafe quantity of methanol in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imported into the country, and cited that as the reason for fuel shortage that has led to hard times for many Nigerians.

One of the airline operators, Mr Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace, who spoke on behalf of the operators, said at a public hearing of ad hoc committee of the lower chamber of Nigeria’s legislature, the House of Representatives. The committee is investigating the scarcity of aviation fuel in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Slamreportafrica.com reported last week the price of diesel has hit a record high at ₦625 per litre in filling stations after it jumped from ₦ 430 to ₦545 two days earlier. The product was sold for as low as ₦ 420 two weeks ago.

Diesel currently sells for ₦720 at the deports, the price is as high as ₦800 at some filling station in the country.

Onyema accused aviation fuel marketers of not speaking the truth about the actual landing cost of aviation fuel, adding that if drastic measures were not taken, the least air ticket would go for as high as N120,000.

He urged the House of Reps to give operators of airlines the license to import aviation fuel, saying this would reduce the unnecessary burden on the citizenry.

“What we are asking from the government is to give us the right to import aviation fuel. What others use in insuring one plane is what we use in insuring three planes in Nigeria, so the Nigeria airline is dead on arrival,” he said.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari, said that it would consider granting licenses to operators of airlines to import aviation fuel.

Kyari also agreed that aviation fuel would now be sold at N500 per litre contrary to the current N670 per litre.

Meanwhile, Mr Ugbugo Ukoha, the Executive Director for Distribution System for Storage and Retailing Infrastructure in the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, said that Nigeria had an excess supply of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK).

He said the country had sufficient products that could go round, adding that the scarcity and the high cost remained the marketers’ challenge.

Committee reactions…

Hon. Ahmed Wase, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, said that the committee was only after the fact, as it was poised to protect the interest of Nigerians.

“We are not willing to compromise what is in the interest of our country,” he said.

He, however, chided the marketers for speaking the language they did not understand in order to cover up some facts.

According to him, the marketers’ analyses are not correct based on the fact at the committee’s disposal.

He also queried why some government agencies would not be telling the truth about the scarcity and the high cost of aviation fuel, saying “we should be seen to protect the interest of Nigeria and not otherwise”.

He said that the committee would ensure that the right thing was done in the interest of the country, adding that the basic tenet of governance remained the welfare of the people.

Hon. Toby Okechukwu, the Minority leader of the House, however, raised questions on what determined the marketers prices and why they were hoarding the product.

Okechukwu said that such actions by marketers were bringing a lot of dysfunction to the country’s economy.

“If we are saying that the landing cost of aviation fuel is N450 from the Central Bank of Nigeria who approved it,” he said.

He also accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd. of not knowing those managing the products.

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Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu presents N27.5 trillion 2024 budget of ‘Renewed Hope’

Published

11 hours ago

November 29, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Exactly six months after his inauguration, Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, presented the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget proposal to a joint session of the 10th National Assembly in Abuja.

The president said, “The 2024 Appropriation has been themed the Budget of Renewed Hope” with intentions to achieve job-rich economic growth, macro-economic stability, a better investment environment, enhanced human capital development, as well as poverty reduction and greater access to social security.

“Defence and internal security are accorded top priority. The internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities and safeguard lives, property, and investments across the country,” he said in his presentation on Wednesday.

The budget also prioritizes human development, with particular attention to children, whom he called “the foundation of our nation”.

The Nigerian government under Tinubu has sought to stabilize the country’s economy with two major policy actions: the removal of petrol subsidies to address fiscal wastage, and the unification of the exchange rate. Although the policies have yet to positively impact standard of living, Tinubu insisted that the Nigerian economy had performed well in 2023 despite the challenges, and the government continued to meet its obligations.

According to him, “an aggregate revenue of 11.045 trillion naira was projected to fund the 2023 Budget of 24.82 trillion naira with a deficit of about 6.1% of GDP. However, as of September 30, the Federal Government’s actual aggregate revenue inflow was 8.65 trillion naira, approximately 96% of the targeted 8.28 trillion naira”.

Tinubu commended the legislature for its swift consideration and passage of the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill and the 2024–2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper last week. He noted that their “prompt action underscores your devotion to economic development and to the greater welfare of our people.”

Nigeria’s main revenue source is oil, but earnings have been affected by its industrial-scale theft, and dwindling global oil prices. However, it produced 1.49 million barrels of oil per day last month, the most in nearly two years, after increasing its output by 60,000 barrels per day.

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Nigeria’s Tinubu to present N27.5trn budget on Wednesday

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, will present the 2024 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the country’s bicameral legislature, the National Assembly, on Wednesday.

The bill is an increase from the N26.01tn earlier considered by the council, according to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, who confirmed the approval to State House correspondents after the close of FEC’s weekly meeting presided over by President Tinubu.

In addition, the minister disclosed that the government had projected N18 trillion in revenue for the fiscal year 2024. Bagudu stated that more information regarding the appropriation bill would be made public on Wednesday when the president brought it before a joint session of the National Assembly.

The minister stated that the Council was currently reviewing the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, which was approved by the National Assembly.

Bagudu said, “Equally, the Federal Executive Council approved the 2024 Appropriation Bill and the presentation of such to the National Assembly by His Excellency, Mr. President.

“The bill has an aggregate expenditure of N27.5tn which is an increase of over N1.5tn from the previously estimated, using the old reference prices.”

He added, “The forecast revenue is now N18.32tn which is higher than the 2023 revenues, including that provided in the two supplementary budgets. Equally and commendably, the deficit is lower than that of 2023. Details of the Renewed Hope Budget will be announced by Mr. President when he makes the presentation to the National Assembly”.

With two key policy initiatives—halting the fiscal bleeding caused by petrol subsidies, and unifying the exchange rate—the Nigerian government, led by Bola Tinubu, has attempted to stabilise the economy of the nation. With its currency value declining even further and the cost of living rising sharply, the results have not been favourable.