Experts in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government to rehabilitate and reopen a moribund 98km aviation fuel pipeline to reduce the cost of the critical fuel in the country.
The pipeline, which was built to supply aviation fuel (Jet A1) to the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, has been shut for more than three decades.
Speaking at a colloquium themed ‘Aviation Fuel Business in Nigeria: The Scenario and the Metaphor’, the Managing Director of CITA Energies Limited, Thomas Ogungbangbe, called for the revival of the pipeline for reasons of efficiency, safety, security, and quality of fuel supplies.
Ogungbangbe said restoring the pipeline will remove over 100 fuel trucks from Lagos roads daily and reduce congestion as well as cases of accidents..
He also said it could save the country millions of dollars monthly in operation costs, while urging the Nigerian authorities to address systemic inefficiencies affecting the sector.
Aviation fuel costs ₦1,350 per litre ($0.93) in Nigeria.
With a daily consumption of 3 million litres, airlines in the country might save over ₦120m per day if the pipeline network is revived, Ogungbangbe argued.
Airline operators in Nigeria are expected to face higher fuel costs beginning January 1, 2026 as the federal government plans to impose a 5% surcharge on the fuel product.
Issue of too many aviation fuel marketers
Ogungbangbe also said aviation fuel marketers have outgrown the number of available airlines in the country.
He appealed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to address and review the number of marketers operating in the country’s airports.
“Now, our industry is growing, but we are groaning due to a lack of adequate control.
“We used to have about six fuel marketers, but now, we have about 45, which is good for the industry, but now, we have a problem with the quality of the product,” Ogungbangbe said.
Another industry player, the Managing Director of Ndano Energy, Mr. Chris Ndulue, urged the NCAA to intensify its oversight on the quality of aviation fuel supplied to airlines.
“Some airports have about 30 fuel marketers. At Enugu airport, for instance, we have about five fuel marketers, which is a high number for the operators at that airport. It is increasingly necessary for people to work together”.
“Though it is quite difficult because of the poor experience of some who collaborated in the past, the truth is that we can’t run away from it,” he said.