CITA calls for pipeline revival to cut aviation fuel costs
A Nigerian energy executive urged the government on Tuesday to repair an abandoned jet fuel pipeline that could reduce airline costs by 40 naira per liter. CITA Energies chairman Thomas Ogungbangbe said the 98-kilometer line from Atlas Cove to Lagos airport has remained underground since operations stopped in 1998.
Restoring the infrastructure would eliminate 100 tanker trucks that congest roads daily while carrying aviation fuel across the city. Ogungbangbe said maritime agencies and NNPC must partner with private companies to test and rehabilitate the pipeline through pressure checks and maintenance work.
Nigeria spends millions monthly routing petroleum vessels to Togo for berthing before shipping products back across borders. Each shipment costs $500,000 in freight expenses that inflate prices at airport pumps and drain foreign reserves.
Former Arik Air director Chris Ndulue told regulators to monitor fuel marketers more closely to prevent contaminated products from reaching aircraft. Aviation authorities should verify the financial strength of distributors who might compromise safety standards to cut corners and boost profits.
