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Operations halted for three days during labour strike, says NNPC boss.
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Distribution delays created temporary price surge nationwide.
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Supply chains to normalise as activities resume, NNPC assures Nigerians.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPC, has attributed the recent increase in cooking gas prices across the country to a temporary disruption in loading and distribution caused by the strike action of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Speaking to State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mr Bayo Ojulari, explained that the hike was “relatively artificial,” resulting from halted operations during the labour action.
READ ALSO: Dangote Refinery Strike Cut Nigeria’s Oil Output by 16% — NNPCL
According to him, the industrial strike delayed the movement of products by about two to three days, creating short-term scarcity and higher market prices.
“The increase you saw was relatively artificial because for the period of the strike, movements and loading were delayed by about two, three days. And because of that, you see that impact. As things return back to normal, it takes some time for distribution to be fully restored,” he said.
The strike, launched by PENGASSAN over the alleged dismissal of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery, was suspended on October 1 after federal government intervention.
Ojulari assured consumers that cooking gas prices are expected to stabilise in the coming weeks as the supply chain returns to normal operations.
