Fuel Scarcity Looms as Marketers Protest e-call Up Levy After Dangote, Others Increase Petrol Price

• Truck owners and petrol marketers in Lagos have protested the state government's N12,500 e-call-up charge on trucks using the Lekki-Epe corridor, fearing it could lead to a fuel shortage
• NARTO and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) argue the levy is unfair and lacks proper infrastructure, with funds reportedly going to private accounts rather than the government
• The protest, which has disrupted fuel and haulage truck movements, has raised concerns about the wider economic impact, including potential hikes in fuel prices and operating costs for the fuel distribution chain

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

Following a concerted boycott by truck owners and petrol marketers in protest of the Lagos State Government's imposition of a controversial N12,500 e-call-up charge on trucks moving along the Lekki-Epe corridor, there were concerns about a potential fuel shortage yesterday.

In a nonviolent protest against what they call an "exploitative, ill-timed, and burdensome" policy, members of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) pulled fuel and haulage trucks out of the corridor on Monday.

Since the Lekki axis is strategically important for supplying petroleum products, especially given the presence of the massive Dangote Refinery and related facilities, the protest, which successfully stopped tanker movement from the area, raised concerns about fuel distribution in Lagos and other parts of the nation.

The demonstrators claim that the e-call-up levy, which is a component of a public-private partnership (PPP) plan, is being implemented without sufficient infrastructure or input from stakeholders. They maintain that the main justification given by government authorities for the policy's execution is that it does not address any real traffic congestion.

All attempts to achieve a settlement with the government were rejected, according to Dele Tajudeen, the immediate past chairman of IPMAN in the South-West.

“We have had several meetings, but the government has remained adamant,” he said. “There is no gridlock along the corridor. So why this levy? This policy is not about solving a traffic problem—it’s about enriching private interests under the pretense of public benefit.”

He added that there are concerns regarding transparency because the money collected from the tax is going to commercial partners rather than the state government directly.

“We already pay N7,000 at the toll gate. Now an additional N12,500 is being demanded. That’s N19,500 before we even load fuel. And this money, we hear, is going to a private account—not the government. This is not sustainable.”

The truck owners caution that consumers will eventually bear the brunt of the expense burden, making their financial situation worse. The new tax may be the last straw for many companies in the fuel distribution chain, whose operating costs are already skyrocketing due to the increased cost of diesel, auto maintenance, and replacement parts.

Gbenga Olubasusi, Chairman of NARTO at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, said,

“The tyres of a trailer now cost over N700,000, and trucks that used to cost N4.5 million now go for over N40 million. We are already managing so much inflation. This new levy will drive up fuel prices and everything else.”

Olubasusi also condemned the absence of basic facilities for truckers in the area. “There is no government trailer park here. We use private parks and pay between N3,000 and N5,000 daily. Now they want to charge us an additional N12,500 with nothing to show in return?”

Comrade Wale Oladeinde, Zonal Secretary of NARTO Southwest, explained that the action is not a strike but a strategic withdrawal of services.

“This is not industrial action. We’re simply exercising our right to stop work under unfair conditions. The trucks are privately owned, and no one can force us to operate under such policies. If Lagos insists on this levy, fuel supply will suffer, and so will the economy.”

Echoing the sentiment, Lagos State NARTO Chairman, Kayode Odunowo, said the industry cannot absorb the additional costs.

“We are totally against this charge. We cooperated in Apapa years ago with similar promises from the government, but they failed to deliver. This time, we won’t play along.”

He warned that any disruption in truck movement would have a cascading effect on the national economy.

“Containers, fuel, food—all rely on trucks. When we stop, everything stops. No NARTO, no Nigeria.”

Dangote, depot owners announce new petrol price

Legit.ng reported that the Dangote Refinery and owners of petroleum product depots have raised the ex-depot prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

This occurred amid the surge in global oil prices due to the Israel-Iran conflict, which reached its fifth day on Tuesday, June 17.

As of Monday, the price of gasoline at Dangote Refinery increased from N825 to N840, Legit.ng can confirm.

Source: Legit.ng