Energy consumers’ advocate Abdulrahman Sani Ibrahim has accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of shielding importers of adulterated fuel while Nigerian consumers bear the consequences.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ibrahim said the regulator had not taken firm action against major marketers allegedly involved in bringing substandard petroleum products into Nigeria. He claimed that blended fuel from Dubai and other countries was entering the country in growing volumes, creating a serious risk for consumers and the wider economy.
Ibrahim warned that inferior fuel can damage vehicles, industrial equipment and other machinery, while also raising business operating expenses. Those costs, he said, would add to the financial pressure on Nigerians already facing elevated energy and transport prices.
He urged NMDPRA to strengthen the monitoring and laboratory testing of imported petroleum products at ports, storage depots and filling stations. In his view, the issue now demands enforcement rather than further warnings.
“This cannot continue to be handled through regulatory caution or statements without action,” Ibrahim said. He argued that NMDPRA was aware of concerns over the ongoing arrival of blended products from Dubai and elsewhere and had itself warned that marketers involved could be denied access to petroleum supplies.
“If the authority knows these activities are taking place and still permits them to continue, it is failing in its basic duty to protect Nigerian consumers,” he added.
Dangote Refinery has previously blamed NMDPRA’s continued approval of import licences for marketers for the increase in fuel imports. The large-scale refinery has also threatened to stop selling petroleum products to importers.
