…Orders Marketers On Calibration, Verification Of Dispensers, Totalizers
…Approves 830,000 Tonnes Of Fuel Imports
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMPDRA) has uncovered incidents of under-dispensing of petroleum products at retail outlets in the country, and ordered marketers to carry out immediate checks and calibration of their fuel dispensers nationwide.
The regulator, in a circular issued by it on Tuesday and posted on its official X handle, described the practice as a serious breach of consumer trust and warned that any marketer caught under-dispensing petroleum products to consumers risk sanctions, including licence revocation.
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The circular partly reads: “The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has observed incidents of under-dispensing of petroleum products at retail outlets nationwide. The Authority views this as a serious breach of consumer trust that will not be tolerated.
“To safeguard the interests of consumers, all retail outlet operators are hereby directed to carry out immediate calibration and verification of all dispensers and totalizers. This is intended to guarantee accurate measurement and ensure that consumers receive the full value of the product they pay for.
“NMDPRA has intensified inspections and enforcement activities nationwide. Outlets found to be under-dispensing, operating with improperly calibrated equipment, or otherwise compromising dispensing accuracy will be required to take immediate corrective action.
“Persistent or serious violations will be subject to appropriate sanctions, up to and including revocation of the outlet’s licence, in line with NMDPRA’s regulations”, it warned.
The NMDPRA said its latest enforcement action was aimed at preventing such practices and improving confidence in petroleum product transactions and directed major industry associations to ensure that their members complied with the directive.
Specifically, the NMDPRA called on the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria to promptly notify their members of this directive and to support full compliance across the industry.
While stressing that consumer protection remains a key part of its regulatory responsibility, particularly in ensuring that petroleum transactions were transparent and accurately measured, the regulator stated that it remained “committed to protecting consumers, promoting transparency, and upholding the integrity of petroleum product transactions nationwide.”
The latest directive of the NMDPRA aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight of the downstream petroleum sector following the removal of petrol subsidy and the transition to a market-based pricing regime.
Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to avert fuel shortage in the downstream market, the regulator has approved 830,000 tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imports for the fourth quarter of 2026 despite the expansion of domestic refining capacity.
The approvals, issued to six retail companies on September 18, are expected to be in the same volume and beneficiary structure as the allocations granted for the third quarter, indicating that the regulator is retaining an import-based supply buffer through the end of the year.
The latest import approvals came as the international petroleum-products market continued to face disruptions associated with the Middle East tensions, which for over six months had impacted negatively on the refined-product markets and altered global trading flows.
