President Muhammadu Buhari has apologized to Nigerians for the country's petrol shortages and power outages.
Following the entry of off-spec petrol into the country in February, there has been a petrol scarcity in the country.
The scarcity, which is already lessening in some regions of the country, resulted in a rise in the price of petrol as well as long lines at filling stations.
Meanwhile, power disruptions have been reported across the country, with the national grid reportedly collapsing twice in the last 72 hours.
Buhari, who is presently in the UK for medical tourism said the federal government is taking steps to address the situation, according to a statement released by presidential spokesman Garba Shehu on Wednesday.
"The president expressed sympathy for the difficulty caused to Nigerians by the petrol shortage and promised that individuals responsible for exacerbating the situation at depots would face consequences.
The government is working round the clock to attend to this issue. An action plan agreed upon earlier this month is being implemented to address the scarcity.
“Working together with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), this plan is now bearing fruit. Sufficient fuel supply has returned to a handful of states, with the queues at stations falling. In the coming days, we expect this to be the case across the rest of the country.
“Looking to the longer term, funds are being targeted toward keeping fuel availability affordable for the country. The international energy markets have surged drastically in recent months, the government will however ensure that consumers are protected against these price spikes.”
On epileptic power supply, Buhari said “the blackouts seen in the national grid are also being addressed”.
“A dip in hydroelectric generation due to seasonal pressures has coincided with technical and supply problems at thermal stations,” he added.
“On this, the government is also working tirelessly to resolve the issues at the latter to guarantee sufficient power flows into the national grid.”
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