The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has appealed to the Lagos State government to reduce the newly introduced ₦12,500 electronic call-up parking fee to ₦2,500, warning that the increased charge could lead to a rise in petrol prices at the pump.
IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Chinedu Ukadike, made the appeal on Tuesday during an interview with journalists in Lagos, stressing the need for urgent intervention to avoid disruptions in fuel supply and cost.
The Lagos State government, through the Electronic Call-up Systems Company, recently raised the truck parking fee from ₦2,500 to ₦12,500. The decision sparked protests on Monday, with truck drivers suspending operations, a move that affected product distribution from both the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Seaport.
Ukadike explained that stakeholders at a recent meeting unanimously agreed that the fee should revert to the previous ₦2,500, describing the new rate as excessive.
“The imposed amount is exorbitant and unbearable for marketers. It will inevitably lead to an increase in the pump price of petrol,” he stated.
He reiterated that the association’s primary objective is to maintain a stable and secure energy supply across the country.
Meanwhile, truck operators under the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) also took to the Lekki-Epe corridor in protest against the fee hike.
The National President of NARTO, Alhaji Yusuf Othman, confirmed that loading operations had been temporarily suspended at the Lekki Port and Dangote Refinery in response to the increased charges.
“We have not declared a strike, but we have suspended loading activities at the Lekki Port and Dangote Refinery because ₦12,500 per truck is simply too high,” Othman said.
He expressed support for the electronic call-up system in principle, but insisted that the accompanying costs must be fair, reasonable, and economically sustainable.
Othman also confirmed that discussions are ongoing with Lagos State government officials in a bid to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.