Independent marketers are raising the alarm over what they describe as exploitative and unregulated charges imposed by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) of NUPENG for product loading at Lagos depots. Despite the industry’s recent united stand against Lagos State’s proposed ₦12,500 e-call-up levy, marketers say key actors have remained silent on the much higher, daily loading fees extracted at the depots—costs that hit as high as ₦70,000 per truck.
This discrepancy, according to marketers, exposes a double standard. While IPMAN and NARTO actively resist the state’s regulatory toll, they have failed to address the opaque and mounting levies enforced internally by tanker unions, including PTD dues, NUPENG payments, and other layered charges.
The Breakdown: ₦70,000 to Load a Single Tanker
Loading a standard 45,000-litre tanker at a Lagos depot now attracts a cumulative fee of ₦70,000. This cost covers:
- PTD-VIO truck clearance: ₦30,000
- Mandatory union and branch dues (NUPENG, IPMAN, PTD, PSW, IBM, NARTO, Unit dues, Development dues, Insurance): ₦40,000
These costs are paid per loading cycle, and in some depots, they exceed ₦70,000 to load a 45,000-litre tanker. This figure excludes transportation, maintenance, or even the product purchase itself, further tightening already slim margins and ultimately pushing pump prices higher for consumers.
A Depot Marketer who preferred anonymity said:
“This is a complete scam that nobody wants to address. We’re paying through the nose just to get fuel out of the depot, and nobody’s saying anything, but the focus is only on government tolls. Who will confront the unions?”
Few Depots Operational Amid Disruptions
On June 16, only three out of 30 operational depots in Lagos—Dangote (₦838 for PMS, ₦1,020 for AGO), Rainoil (₦900 for PMS), and NIPCO (₦895 for PMS, ₦1,050 for AGO)—managed to declare rates. All other depots remained idle or withheld pricing, further complicating supply access for downstream players and independent marketers.
The limited pricing activity underscores the fragility of the distribution network following the recent strike action. Although operations resumed after Lagos agreed to negotiate the e-call-up levy, many marketers report difficulty in accessing products without incurring excessive union-imposed loading costs.
Call for Industry-Wide Reform
Industry stakeholders argue that sustainable reform must go beyond state fees and tackle the entrenched cost structure maintained by petroleum unions and depot operators. They warn that unless these internal burdens are addressed, fuel supply disruptions and retail price instability will persist, regardless of how the e-call-up matter is resolved.
“The silence over the ₦70,000 loading fee is troubling,” said several marketers. “Until we confront this problem, we’re only treating symptoms, not the disease.”
