The Federal Government has issued a fresh directive to petroleum marketers, ordering them to extend a 30-day credit window to airline operators on Jet A1 fuel purchases — and to sell directly to airlines, cutting out the middlemen who have been inflating costs along the supply chain.
The directive, confirmed on April 28, 2026, adds a new layer to the government’s intervention in the aviation fuel crisis. It comes just a day after the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) set official price caps — ₦1,988 per litre in Lagos and ₦2,037 in Abuja — to control what suppliers can charge.
Two Interventions, One Crisis
Yesterday’s price cap tackled the cost side. Today’s directive tackles the cash flow side. Airlines do not just suffer from high fuel prices — they suffer from having to pay upfront for every litre, which strains liquidity when fuel prices spike suddenly. A 30-day credit window gives carriers breathing room to manage their finances without immediately grounding flights or slashing routes.
The direct-sale order is equally significant. By requiring marketers to sell straight to airlines, the government is trying to strip out the middlemen who add margins to fuel at every handoff — a layer of inefficiency that has long plagued the aviation supply chain.
Several airlines had already begun warning of service disruptions if costs remained unsustainable. Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier, had cut its Abuja-London service from daily flights to just three per week until July 1, citing fuel supply constraints.
The Ministers Behind It
The directive follows high-level engagement between Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and Finance Minister Wale Oyedele. The cross-ministry coordination signals that the government is treating the aviation crisis as a broader economic problem, not just a sector headache.
Whether marketers fully comply — and whether airlines actually receive fuel at the capped prices on credit — will determine how much difference these directives make in practice. Nigeria has a history of well-intentioned regulatory interventions that stall at implementation.
Sources: Punch, Pulse Nigeria, Arbiterz
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