The Federal Government, Friday, flagged off the sale of kerosene at the pump price of N50 per litre under the Kero-Direct–Scheme, a programme designed by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to make the commodity available for every household in the country.
The struggle to buy Kerosene, an household commodity for cooking, becomes more challenging even at a NNPC petrol Station in Lagos. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele
The struggle to buy Kerosene, an household commodity for cooking, becomes more challenging even at a NNPC petrol Station in Lagos. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, while speaking at the programme, admitted that driving the kero-direct programme would be quite challenging but assured that with unwavering support of government, the objectives will be achieved.
According to him, “We are committed to ensuring the elimination of the kerosene “Black Market” so that Nigerian consumers can buy kerosene at the correct price of N50 per litre. We know this will be challenging, but with the unwavering support and assurances of Government through the able leadership of Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke, we are confident that the objectives of this laudable scheme will be achieved”
“As you know, household kerosene is a very important commodity in every household in the country. As a major domestic cooking fuel, kerosene has now become indispensable to virtually every Nigerian family. However, despite the importance of this commodity to Nigerians, accessing kerosene at the correct price has been a challenge over the years”.
Dawha added that “the scheme is response to the clarion yearnings of deserving Nigerian consumers of kerosene, particularly our mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers who constitute the good people of Nigeria and in line with transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan; we are launching the federal government’s kero-direct scheme”
The GMD stated that NNPC has engaged in strategic partnership with critical stakeholders including credible non-governmental organisations to embark on an aggressive sensitization and monitoring of the programmes to ensure to seamless and transparent distribution and sales of kerosene at the correct price at all its stations.
In her welcome address earlier, the Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investments of NNPC, Hajia Aisha Abdulrahman, has assured that effective measures are already in place to ensure that the product get to the target consumers.
Abdulrahman reiterated NNPC’s ‘continued commitment in making the kero-direct scheme a resounding success not only to reduce the hardship faced by Nigerians, but also to once again touch lives positively’.