Business
Firm Begins Direct Kerosene Sales In Lagos
Capital Oil and Gas Limited will this week deploy 200 kerosene trucks to the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas of Lagos State through its Mobile Trucks Distribution Initiative.
The company’s Managing Director, Mr Ifeanyin Ubah, said that 270 personnel had been engaged for the distribution.
He said that sales of the product would be carried out on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays every week while about 880 families were expected to benefit weekly.
According to Ubah, about 20 million litres of kerosene had been allocated to the company’s tank farms in Apapa for effective distribution in Lagos through the mobile trucks initiative.
“We have concluded arrangements to ensure that kerosene gets to the end-users at N50 per litre, while trucks will be stationed at every local government for effective monitoring.
“We have instructed the kerosene truck managers that nobody should buy more than 25 litres to avoid retailing by some individuals,” he said.
Ubah advised buyers to pick up forms in the local government areas where they reside and pay at any designated bank within the area.
This, he explained, was to curb fraud and abuses in the purchase of the kerosene.
Ubah also advised buyers to report any staff or official that contravenes the laid-down order.
Meanwhile, in a test-run activity, Capital Oil and Gas on Saturday flagged-off the distribution of kerosene in Amuwo-Odofin and Apapa Local Government Areas of Lagos.
Ubah said that the scheme aimed at providing the state with a good quantity of kerosene was a new strategy to ensure that the product got to all households in Lagos.
The Chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Council, Mr Ayodele Adewale, praised the initiative.
Adewale said that the project would go a long way in easing the problems residents of FESTAC Town and its environs faced in queuing for the product at filling stations.
He added that the council had already sensitised residents on the procedure for buying kerosene through mobile trucks, saying that security agents had been deployed to ensure safety and peace.
The council chairman, however, urged the state government to ensure that the programme was a continuous one, as it would help to eradicate poverty.
He gave the assurance that the council would ensure that nobody bought more than the stipulated quantity and at more than N50 per litre.
Some of the buyers at Amuwo-Odofin, while speaking with newsmen, urged government to increase the number of trucks and the selling points to fast-track the process of buying.
Mrs. Sherifat Agbabiaka, a trader, said that the hardship experienced in getting kerosene at the filling stations in the last four months was terrible.
Agbabiaka further said that kerosene, which was the major cooking gas the masses depended upon to meet their needs, had become very scarce in Lagos and its environs.
Mrs. Alice Kojo, a civil servant, said that the product’s scarcity had forced her to resort to using charcoal for cooking.
Kojo praised the initiative and called on government to continue the project in order to decongest filling stations and make the product cheaper for the citizens.
“The government should find urgent solution to the issue of kerosene scarcity so as to ameliorate the suffering of people,” she said.
Mr. Adams Aliyu, a businessman, lauded the scheme and urged the government to ensure stability, alleging that some stations had taken advantage of the scarcity to impose a N100 per litre price regime.
“The product is very essential to us and government should, therefore, address the bottlenecks surrounding the scarcity and make the product available to the masses,” he said.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
·
· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
·
· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
·
· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos