Fuel Scarcity Bites in Warri as NUPENG Strike Shuts Filling Stations

The strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) took a heavy toll on Warri and its environs on Monday as several filling stations, including Mobil outlets, were shut, leaving motorists, tricycle riders, and residents stranded with no access to fuel except on the black market.

Checks across major parts of Warri showed (NUPENG) officials are moving around sanctioning filling stations that are opened or violate the strike rule. Monday morning, most stations had closed their gates in compliance with the strike directive. Desperate motorists were seen thronging roadside black-market sellers, where petrol prices had surged by more than 150 per cent within hours.

“I drove around town for over two hours and could not find a single station selling. The only option is black market, but the price is outrageous,” lamented a commercial tricycle operator in Warri metropolis.

The shutdown followed NUPENG’s insistence that its members would suspend fuel loading nationwide to protest alleged anti-labour practices at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, despite appeals by the Federal Government to shelve the strike.

NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed on Sunday that the strike would go ahead pending the outcome of a conciliation meeting scheduled for later today in Abuja. “The Federal Government and the NNPC are reaching out, but there is nothing concrete yet. The strike starts tomorrow morning as planned,” he stated.

The development has sparked fears of a wider fuel crisis across the Niger Delta and beyond, with the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) also declaring support for the strike. PETROAN said it had instructed filling station operators nationwide to shut down in solidarity, warning that the disruption could last for days.

Already, black market operators in Warri were selling petrol between ₦1,200 and ₦1,400 per litre by mid-morning, up from the official pump price of about ₦617. Transport fares also doubled, worsening the plight of residents.

Authorities have appealed for calm as the Ministry of Labour continues efforts to broker a truce between NUPENG and the Dangote Group. However, with filling stations closed and tanker drivers off the roads, residents of Warri and surrounding communities are bracing for tougher days ahead if the strike lingers.