Nigeria warns of fuel supply disruption ahead of tanker drivers’ strike

Abuja — Nigeria’s state-owned oil firm NNPC has urged petroleum tanker drivers to call off a planned nationwide strike due to start on Monday, saying the action would disrupt fuel supplies in Africa’s biggest economy.

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has said drivers plant to protest what they say is the poor state of roads in the country that they say endangers their lives.

NNPC said it was willing to provide funding for the construction of some roads, even though this was not its business. It did not say how much money would be made available.

“Any disruption in the distribution of petroleum products to different parts of Nigeria will adversely affect the business of the NNPC and endanger energy security,” NNPC said in a statement.

NNPC was last week incorporated into a limited liability company. President Muhammadu Buhari said in August that the company had made its first profit in its 44-year history.

The company, which operates joint production ventures with Western oil majors and is also involved in refining and marketing petroleum products, has released few details of its finances for most of its history.

“The thrust of the NNPC’s intervention is to make considerable funds available for the reconstruction of roads through its future tax liability,” NNPC said.

Reuters