Minister says fuel crisis will end in 2019

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, said the fuel scarcity crisis will be over in 2019.

The minister noted that the ultimate solution to the recurring fuel scarcity is for Nigeria to fix its refineries.

Kachikwu disclosed this at the joint session of the National Assembly committees on Petroleum Downstream on Thursday, January 4, 2018.

The minister bemoaned the exportation of crude products to other countries adding that the country was losing huge revenue due to such a practice.

Kachikwu expressed dissatisfaction with what he called the 'business model' being operated in the petroleum sector.

He, however, disclosed that the ministry was working on an 18-month temporary plan towards ending the fuel scarcity menace.

He said, "I want to remind that over that over two years we haven't had queues. We are spending night and day to find solutions to nip this in the bud.

"Ultimately what this country needs is to have its refineries working and I have said that it is shameful that after 30, 40 years of activities in the downstream, we cannot produce sufficient [petroleum products] - I have said that nobody sells crude in its form in the world and we have to have the technical capacity to do this."

The minister expressed optimism that with the turnaround maintenance at the various refineries, the completion of Dangote refinery, and the modular refineries, the fuel scarcity crisis will be over in 2019.