Several MRS filling stations in Abuja have remained closed for two days following the unavailability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), raising concerns over fuel supply in the Federal Capital Territory.

Managers at some of the affected stations, who spoke anonymously, said the outlets had run out of petrol after failing to receive fresh supplies from Lagos.

According to one of the managers, the stations have been without fuel since Thursday because no supply trucks have arrived.

Reacting to the development, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, suggested that some marketers may be facing difficulties accessing foreign exchange needed to procure refined petroleum products.

He linked the situation to the increasing dollarisation of the downstream petroleum sector but expressed confidence that operators would overcome the challenge.

The development comes shortly after the Dangote Refinery resumed the sale of refined petroleum products in US dollars following the suspension of the Federal Government’s naira-for-crude arrangement.

Meanwhile, petrol prices have continued to rise across Abuja. Ex-depot prices climbed to as high as ₦1,225 per litre, while retail prices at several filling stations increased by between ₦40 and ₦50 per litre, selling for as much as ₦1,220 per litre.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has maintained its pump price at ₦1,155 per litre despite the latest increase in the market.