KEY POINTS
- IPMAN says Anambra government owes over N900 million for diesel supplies, leaving many marketers indebted to banks.
- Marketers warn petrol prices could skyrocket to as much as N3,000 per litre if forced into a strike.
- IPMAN to launch a new integrity task force in September to curb pump cheating at filling stations.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has sounded the alarm over a mounting debt dispute with the Anambra State Government that could push fuel prices in the state to unprecedented highs.
According to IPMAN’s Enugu Unit Chairman, Chief Chinedu Anyaso, the state government owes marketers more than N900 million for diesel supplied to power public streetlights across Anambra.
Speaking after the association’s Annual General Meeting in Enugu on Sunday, Anyaso said the non-payment has left members financially crippled, with some already losing their filling stations to banks over unpaid loans.
“This debt has dragged on for over a year despite repeated letters and direct appeals to Governor Chukwuma Soludo,” Anyaso said. “We’ve deliberately avoided strike actions because we don’t want ordinary citizens to suffer. But if our members shut down, fuel could easily jump to N2,000 or even N3,000 per litre in Anambra.”
Mounting Pressure as Marketers Count Losses
The crisis is already taking a human toll. Anyaso revealed that eight members in Anambra have died in recent months, overwhelmed by stress and financial pressure from aggressive loan recoveries. Several stations have closed, while others have slashed staff as owners struggle to keep their businesses afloat.
The standoff comes at a delicate time for Nigeria’s downstream sector, where persistent debt disputes and delayed reimbursements have triggered frequent strike threats.
In February, IPMAN had threatened to shut down nationwide operations over N100 billion in unpaid bridging claims owed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
While IPMAN has chosen dialogue in Anambra’s case, the chairman warned that patience is wearing thin. “Our appeal is for the government to urgently look into this matter and save marketers from total collapse,” he said.
