The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) was yesterday mum over owing the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over N100 billion bridging claims.
Its Head Public Affairs, Mr. George Ene- Ita, whom The Nation dialed his phone for response ignored the call.
Besides, he ignored the text message our Abuja Correspondent sent to him for inquiry.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday said trucks with capacity to carry over 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon products will not be allowed to load at depots as from March 1.
It announced that as from the fourth quarter of this year, no truck carrying more than 45,000 litres of petroleum products would be allowed to load from depots.
The agency’s Executive Director for Distribution System, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, announced this at a media briefing yesterday in Abuja.
The announcement, according to him, followed the agency’s meeting with stakeholders in the industry, on the heels of reoccurring accidents and explosions caused by trucks overloaded with petroleum products.
He said: “Beginning from March 1, trucks with capacity in excess with 60,000 litres will not be allowed to load in any loading depot of petroleum products.
“By the fourth quarter of 2025, we will also go to preclude the loading of transportation of petroleum products of any truck in excess of 45,000 litres. That is the breaking news for today.”
Ukoha said the ban would be implemented in phases to give investors time to adjust to the directive.
According to him, the investors, especially truck owners, need time to redesign their trucks and redirect funding.
The union leader listed the stakeholders that agreed on the decision at the meeting as the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), among others.
He said other stakeholders at the meeting included the Department of State Services (DSS), Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), MEMAN, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), IPMAN, Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN), SON,” he said.
Ukoha said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had not imported the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol this year.
The confirmation came on the heels of some reports that the state-owned oil firm’s imported PMS burns faster than that of Dangote Refinery.
The NMDPRA director said all the petroleum products imported to the country this year are of standard quality.
Ukoha berated those he said have been releasing bogus claims concerning product quality on the social media.
The NMDPRA director assured Nigerians that the agency does not permit the distribution of products that fall short of quality standards.
“You must meet those specifications; otherwise, we will not let those products be distributed…
“Finally, let me just say a word about what the responsibility we all bear. The regulator will usually be more circumspect and not run, chasing or responding to every, any comments that are made in the public.
“But it is important that people who dabble within the social media space are reminded that it is actually disrespectful if you imagine that Nigerians are gullible.
“Innocent Nigerians are discerning enough to know that energies need to be directed positively. So, people who make unscientific claims …are really not helping the situation.
“As a regulator, we are working very hard in compliance with the presidential and statutory mandates we have to support the local refineries to build capacity to the point that Nigerians will have sufficient products and not just quality but pricing is also done in a transparent, competitive and fair way.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has banned trucks carrying over 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon products from loading from depots from March 1, 2025.
It also announced that from the Fourth Quarter of 2025, no truck carrying more than 45,000 litres of petroleum products shall be allowed to load from the depots.
Executive Director, Distribution System, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, announced this in a briefing in Abuja.
The announcement, according to him, was sequel to the meeting the Authority held with stakeholders in the industry owing to the reoccurring accidents and explosion due to over loaded petroleum products trucks.
His words: “Beginning 1st March, trucks with capacity in excess with 60,000 litres will not be allowed to load in any loading depot of petroleum products.
” By Q4 2025, we will also go to preclude the loading of transportation of petroleum products of any truck in excess of 45,000 litres. That is the breaking news for today. “
He said the ban is in phases in order to allow the investors time to adjust to the directive.
According to him, the investors, especially trucks owners need time to redesign the trucks and redirect their funding.
He said the stakeholders that held the consensus decision at the meeting were the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), SON, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) among others.
“Breaking news about that today is that in today’s meeting comprising DSS, FERMA, Federal Fire Service, Road Safety, NARTO, NUPENG, MEMAN, PETROAN, IPMAN, DAPMAN, SON,” he said
Ukoha confirmed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has not imported the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol this year.
The confirmation came on the heels of some news reports that the state-owned oil firm imported PMS burns faster than that of Dangote Refinery.
The NMDPRA said all the petroleum products imported to the country this year are of standard quality.
It recalled after the removal of subsidy on the petrol, national consumption of the product declined from an average of 66 million litre (ml/d) to 50 ml/d.
According to him, less than 60 per cent of the national consumption is met from domestic refineries while the shortfall is imported by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
He explained that the contribution of local refineries has been less than 60 per cent shortfall in January and February 2025.
The Executive Director said 50 per cent of the shortfall is sourced from importation.
He however specifically noted that none of the OMCs that owned refineries have imported petroleum products this year.
In a veiled confirmation that NNPCL has not imported petrol this year, he said, “So just for clarity, what I am saying is that the contribution of local refining towards the sufficiency is less than 60 per cent currently January and February 2025 is less than 50 of what we require daily. And that shortfall is sourced by way of importation. Even though none of the OMCs that owned refineries have imported this year PMS.”
On the quality, he said the NMDPRA always insists that all petroleum products meet the specifications of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to him, the Authority does not permit the distribution of products that fall short of quality standards.
“You must meet those specifications, otherwise we will not let those products be distributed,” he said.
Ukoha said some people have been releasing bogus claims concerning product quality on the social media.
He said “Finally, let me just say a word about what the responsibility we all bear. The regulator will usually be more circumspect and not run, chasing or responding to every, any comments that are made in the public.
” But it is important that people who dabble within the social media space are reminded that it is actually disrespectful if you imagine that Nigerians are gullible.
“Innocent Nigerians are discerning enough to know that energies need to be directed positively. So people who make claims of unscientific claims, that make bogus data expertise claims of that, are really not helping the situation.
“As a regulator, we are working very hard in compliance with the presidential and statutory mandates we have to support the local refineries to build capacity to the point that Nigerians will have sufficient products and not just quality but pricing is also done in a transparent, competitive and fair way.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday presented Gas Distribution Licenses to 10 companies.
Speaking at the Gas Distribution Licence (GDL) Award ceremony in Abuja, the Authority Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed recalled that the organization received 30 application for licenses from which it approved 10.
He said the licences cover about 1.5billion standard cubic feet/day with over 1,200kilometer of gas distribution pipeline network.
He added that the issued licenses cover over 500 customers.
Ahmed said: “Ten licences are being issued today as part of Phase-1 of the Gas Distribution Licensing regime to operators who have invested significantly in developing gas distribution infrastructures in the designated Gas Distribution Zones and have met the prescribed minimum requirements.
“A cumulative gas distribution capacity of approximately 1.5 bscf/d with over 1,200km of gas distribution pipeline network as well as over 500 customer stations are covered by the licences being issued today.”
He said the Gas Distribution Licence (GDL) as provided in Sections 148 -152
of the PIA 2021 is a licence that gives exclusive right to establish, construct and operate a gas distribution system in a designated local Gas Distribution Zone (GDZ) issued to qualified applicants to distribute gas at the ‘last mile’.
Ahmed said due diligence was conducted on the 30 applications in line with defined prerequisites.
He noted that the licences being issued yesterday would support the ‘last mile’ expansion, crucial in completing an efficient and interconnected gas network across the country.
He explained that the GDL regime holds a significant opportunity of supporting the development of the nation’s domestic gas market through the supply of gas to the energy-intensive industries, industrial parks, special economic zones, embedded/captive power generation, mobility CNG schemes and any other downstream gas utilization programme.
The licence regime, according to him, shall not only support the accelerated development of Nigeria’s domestic gas market but that it shall create opportunities for profitable investments for various classes of stakeholders, improve the socio-economic impact of gas resources across Nigeria and support our national energy transition plans.
He vowed that the NMDPRA would continue working assiduously in providing regulatory support to industry stakeholders and ensure that critical gas infrastructures are completed and commissioned.
Ahmed said they include the OB3 river crossing, the AKK, and the gas processing facilities across the gas producing provinces of the country.
He said meanwhile, NMDPRA would conduct the second revision of the Gas
Transportation Network Code, to build on the successes of the first revision and enhance the performance of the Network regarding pressure stability, metering at both entry and exit points, quality of supply and overall operational efficiency. He added that the Authority would enable the automatic determination of the shrinkage factor segment by segment.
Ahmed said the GDZs would be complemented in the interim, by virtual networks that convey LNG and CNG via trucks to the areas that are yet to be accessed by gas pipelines.
According to him, the virtual pipelines are expected to be integrated with the Distribution Networks in the future.
He further revealed that the NMDPRA shall also periodically revise the gas pricing and tariffing frameworks to ensure that the cost of gas remains fair and competitive, in line with the provisions of the PIA.
Earlier, the Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, recalled that in 2024, NMDPRA issued 15,000 licenses to operators.
According to him, in 15 years, there would be no use of gas cylinders and trucks in the country.
It was an indication that Nigeria would in 15 years convey gas through pipelines to the end-users.
He said with the exit of trucking of gas, the industry would avert the present reoccurring accidents and gas explosion which are currently.
He said: “In 2024, the authority issued more than 15,000 licenses. The Gas Distribution Licence is a major game changer within the value chain.
“With the provisions of the PIA, the GDL promises to take the natural gas to the last line. That means in 15 years from now you do not need cylinders for your gas.
“The filling stations what we are experiencing now with the trucks and the accidents that are happening will go away because in each mother and daughter station, will be piped and you can turn on your light and it will be powered by gas.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo said according to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, over 600,000 women and children die annually in African due to lack of access to clean cooking.
He said even more worrisome is the fact that an estimated 1.2 billion women in the continent lack access to clean cooking.
The minister said the continued exposure to Carbon Monoxide during cooking leads to very severe air pollution and this is the leading cause of death among women and children.
Ekpo said in Section 148 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, mandates the NMDPRA to issue Gas Distribution Licenses to qualified individuals and organizations.
He said this provides an exclusive right to establish, construct, and operate gas distribution systems and ensures the non-discriminatory distribution and sale of natural gas within designated local distribution zones.
He said the event is a testament to the government’s commitment to implementing the PIA in full alignment with the Gas Distribution Regulations of 2023.
The minister said: “The issuance of the Gas Distribution License comes at a pivotal moment as we intensify efforts to harness the potential of gas as a critical resource for Nigeria’s energy transition and economic transformation.
“By empowering license holders, this initiative opens extensive opportunities across several key sectors:
“Energy-Intensive Industries: Facilitating affordable and reliable energy supply to drive industrial growth and competitiveness.
“Power Generation: Supporting the generation of cleaner and more efficient energy to enhance power availability across the nation.
“Clean cooking initiative: In order to give women and youths access to clean cooking options, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s LPG penetration program was started in September 2024 with the goal of distributing LPG throughout the 6 geopolitical zones and 774 local government areas.
“Promote Gas reticulation: This replaces gas cylinders as gas is piped to homes and businesses.
“Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Mobility: Accelerating the adoption of CNG as a sustainable fuel alternative in transportation.
“Energy Parks and Special Economic Zones: Promoting industrial clusters that rely on natural gas as a cornerstone for economic activity.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Tuesday, presented Gas Distribution Licenses to 10 companies.
Speaking at the Gas Distribution Licence (GDL) Award ceremony in Abuja, the Authority Chief Executive, Engr Farouk Ahmed recalled that the organization received 30 application for licenses from which it approved 10.
He said the licences cover about 1.5billion standard cubic feet/day with over 1,200kilometer of gas distribution pipeline network.
He added that the issued licenses cover over 500 customers.
Ahmed said: “Ten licences are being issued today as part of Phase-1 of the Gas Distribution Licensing regime to operators who have invested significantly in developing gas distribution infrastructures in the designated Gas Distribution Zones and have met the prescribed minimum requirements.
“A cumulative gas distribution capacity of approximately 1.5 bscf/d with over 1,200km of gas distribution pipeline network as well as over 500 customer stations are covered by the licences being issued today.”
He said the Gas Distribution Licence (GDL) as provided in Sections 148 -152 of the PIA 2021 is a licence that gives exclusive right to establish, construct and operate a gas distribution system in a designated local Gas Distribution Zone (GDZ) issued to qualified applicants to distribute gas at the ‘last mile’.
Ahmed said due diligence was conducted on the 30 applications in line with defined prerequisites.
He noted that the licences being issued yesterday would support the ‘last mile’ expansion, crucial in completing an efficient and interconnected gas network across the country.
He explained that the GDL regime holds a significant opportunity of supporting the development of the nation’s domestic gas market through the supply of gas to the energy-intensive industries, industrial parks, special economic zones, embedded/captive power generation, mobility CNG schemes and any other downstream gas utilization programme.
The licence regime, according to him, shall not only support the accelerated development of Nigeria ‘s domestic gas market but that it shall create opportunities for profitable investments for various classes of stakeholders, improve the socio-economic impact of gas resourcesacross Nigeria and support our national energy transition plans.
He vowed that the NMDPRA would continue working assiduously in providing regulatory support to industry stakeholders and ensure that critical gas infrastructures are completed and commissioned.
Ahmed said they include the OB3 river crossing, the AKK, and the gas processing facilities across the gas producing provinces of the country.
He said meanwhile, NMDPRA would conduct the second revision of the Gas Transportation Network Code, to build on the successes of the first revision and enhance the performance of the Network regarding pressure stability, metering at both entry and exit points, quality of supply and overall operational efficiency.
He added that the Authority would enable the automatic determination of the shrinkage factor segment by segment.
Ahmed said the GDZs would be complemented in the interim, by virtual networks that convey LNG and CNG via trucks to the areas that are yet to be accessed by gas pipelines.
According to him, the virtual pipelines are expected to be integrated with the Distribution Networks in the future.
He further revealed that the NMDPRA shall also periodically revise the gas pricing and tariffing frameworks to ensure that the cost of gas remains fair and competitive, in line with the provisions of the PIA.
Earlier, the Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Mr. Ogbugo Ukoha, recalled that in 2024, NMDPRA issued 15,000 licenses to operators.
According to him, in 15 years time, there would be no use of gas cylinders and trucks in the country.
It was an indication that Nigeria would in 15 years time convey gas through pipelines to the end-users.
He said with the exit of trucking of gas, the industry would avert the present reoccurring accidents and gas explosion which are currently.
His words: “In 2024, the authority issued more than 15,000 licenses. The Gas Distribution Licence is a major game changer within the value chain.
“With the provisions of the PIA, the GDL promises to take the natural gas to the last line. That means in 15 years time, from now you do not need cylinders for your gas.
“The filling stations what we are experiencing now with the trucks and the accidents that are happening will go away because in each mother and daughter station, will be piped and you can turn on your light and it will be powered by gas.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo said according to the President of the African Development Bank – Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, over 600,000 women and children die annually in African due to lack of access to clean cooking.
He said even more worrisome is the fact that an estimated 1.2 billion women in the continent lack access to clean cooking.
The minister said the continued exposure to Carbon Monoxide during cooking leads to very severe air pollution and this is the leading cause of death among women and children.
Ekpo said in section 148 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, mandates the NMDPRA to issue Gas Distribution Licenses to qualified individuals and organizations.
He said this provides an exclusive right to establish, construct, and operate gas distribution systems and ensures the non-discriminatory distribution and sale of natural gas within designated local distribution zones.
He said the event is a testament to the government’s commitment to implementing the PIA in full alignment with the Gas Distribution Regulations of 2023.
The minister said: “The issuance of the Gas Distribution License comes at a pivotal moment as we intensify efforts to harness the potential of gas as a critical resource for Nigeria’s energy transition and economic transformation.
“By empowering license holders, this initiative opens extensive opportunities across several key sectors:
“Energy-Intensive Industries: Facilitating affordable and reliable energy supply to drive industrial growth and competitiveness.
“Power Generation: Supporting the generation of cleaner and more efficient energy to enhance power availability across the nation.
“Clean cooking initiative: In order to give women and youths access to clean cooking options, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s LPG penetration program was started in September 2024 with the goal of distributing LPG throughout the 6 geopolitical zones and 774 local government areas.
“Promote Gas reticulation: This replaces gas cylinders as gas is piped to homes and businesses.
“Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Mobility: Accelerating the adoption of CNG as a sustainable fuel alternative in transportation.
“Energy Parks and Special Economic Zones: Promoting industrial clusters that rely on natural gas as a cornerstone for economic activity.”
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said it will not allow an “unhealthy monopoly” in the oil and gas sector.
It faulted the suit by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE (Dangote) seeking to void the import licenses issued by NMDPRA to some oil marketing companies.
NMDPRA, in a counter-affidavit it filed against the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, justified its issuance of import licenses to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
Praying the court to dismiss the suit for being unmeritorious and incompetent, NMDPRA argued that Dangote Refinery is not entitled to any of the reliefs sought.
It stated that Dangote Refinery’s current production is yet to meet the national daily petroleum products sufficiency requirement.
NMDPRA added that based on the insufficiency of Dangote Refinery’s production and, in compliance with Section 317 [9] of the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), it issued licences to companies with good track records of international products trading to import petrol to bridge product shortfalls.
Arguing that it is also mandated to promote competition and prevent abuse of dominant market positions, NMDPRA said its responsibilities also include preventing unhealthy monopolies in the oil and gas sector.
The agency denied Dangote’s claim that it is partaking in any purported “grand conspiracy and concerted efforts” against the refinery, arguing that it is “an allegation for which the plaintiff has provided no facts or evidence in support.”
In their joint counter-affidavit, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited argued that granting the reliefs sought in Dangote’s case would spell doom for the country’s oil sector.
They claimed that an alleged plan by Dangote Refinery to monopolise the oil sector is a recipe for disaster in the country.
The three firms also claimed that the plaintiff did not produce adequate petroleum products for the daily consumption of Nigerians, adding that it (Dangote Refinery) has placed nothing before the court to prove the contrary.
In its preliminary objection, the NNPCL wants the court to strike out the case for being incompetent.
The plaintiff’s counsel George Ibrahim said although the business of the day was for either a report of settlement or a report of service, his client has been unable to serve the amended originating summons on the defendants.
Justice Inyang Ekwo noted that the case is not mature for hearing, which will necessitate an adjournment.
Justice Ekwo adjourned till January 30.
Dangote Refinery is praying the court to nullify the import licences issued by NMDPRA to the NNPCL and the other companies to import refined petroleum products.
It also wants the court to declare that NMDPRA violated sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.
The plaintiff prayed the court to award N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for its alleged continued issuance of import licences to NNPCL and the five companies to import petroleum products.
Dangote Refinery is contending that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has vowed to in collaboration with stakeholders review its Operation standards to avert explosions resulting from petrol tanker accidents.
With the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), the NMDPRA safety team stormed the scene of the petrol tanker explosion in Dikko, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
NMDPRA Health, Safety, Environment, and Community, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, added there should be proper safety measures in place for response when there is an accident.
Executive Director, Dr. Mustapha Lamorde, who represented him, said: “We will work out stakeholders to review our standards of operation because this is a procedure that is going on.
“We should have proper safety arrangements when this kind of accident happens.”
The Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri on Saturday directed the NMDPRA to probe the cause of the explosion.
Asked to review his findings from the investigation, Ahmed said there was a preliminary report on the accident on Saturday.
Ahmed however, said the NMDPRA would embark on a more thorough investigation and release a detailed investigation and how to avert future accidents.
He said there was an accident and a spill of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol, which went to scoop and lost their lives in the process.
His words: “So we have a preliminary report of the accident that came in yesterday, and from the preliminary investigation, we are going to investigate deeper so that we come up with a detailed investigation and measures to prevent it from happening.
“From what we learnt, there was an accident, and from the accident, there was a spill, and people were scooping fuel, and this led to the incident that caused the loss of many lives yesterday (Saturday).”
He urged the public to be wary of the danger of explosions, noting that the NMDPRA would intensify awareness campaign to prevent people from approaching accident scenes with combustible materials.
According to him, the Authority has standard operating procedures and guidelines.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri on Saturday directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to investigate the petrol tanker accident at Dikko Junction along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in Nigeria State.
The call for investigation was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nneamaka Okafor issued from Abuja.
Lokpobiri however reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to ensuring the safety of petroleum products transportation nationwide.
He sought a sustained partnership among the relevant stakeholders for the avoidance of another occurrence.
The statement reads: “While noting that he has directed NMDPRA to commence investigation on the incident, the Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of petroleum transportation across the country, calling for sustained collaboration among relevant stakeholders to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
“I am deeply saddened by this tragic event, and my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. May the souls of the departed find eternal rest, and may God grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” he said.
The Minister also prayed for the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries in the accident.
“To the injured, I pray for their swift and complete healing. This is a time for us to stand together as a nation in solidarity with all those affected by this tragedy,” he added.
While emphasising the need for enhanced safety measures to minimize the occurrence of such incidents, Lokpobiri urged citizens to exercise caution during emergencies involving petrol-ladened tankers.
He stated: “As much as we strive to implement safety measures across the petroleum supply chain, I must strongly appeal to the public to avoid approaching petrol-ladened tankers in the event of an accident. I have appealed this severally, the risks are enormous, and lives are too precious to be lost unnecessarily.”
“This tragedy reminds us of the importance of collective responsibility. We must all work together – government, transport operators, and citizens – to ensure that safety remains paramount in all aspects of petroleum distribution,” he noted.
The Minister assured the people of Niger State of the Ministry’s support during this difficult period, reiterating his unwavering commitment to promoting safety and well-being in all operations under his purview.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has shut down eight petroleum retail outlets in Warri and it’s environs.
Speaking to reporters in Warri, Delta State, Tuesday, the coordinator of NMDPRA in Delta State, Engr. Victor Ohwodiasa, said the retail outlets were shutdown over varying offences, including under-dispensing, operating without valid licences, poor safety culture and poor housekeeping.
Ohwodiasa said that the NMDPRA had observed that retail outlets operators adjust their metres during weekends, asserting the authority’s determination to continue to fish them out.
He stated that the affected petrol stations were located at Ifiekporo and Ubeji in Warri South; Ughoton in Okpe, Effurun/Sapele Road in Uvwie and Ovwian community in Udu Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the routine surveillance exercise was part of the regulatory authority’s core mandates of ensuring motorists and other petroleum products consumers got the right quality and quantity.
“Our surveillance team was on the field on Sunday to checkmate the petroleum retail outlets on sharp practices.
“Twenty-seven stations were visited and eight among them were found wanting for various infringements.
“These facilities have been sanctioned and appropriate penalty will be meted out to them in line with the procedural guidelines of the NMDPRA.
“Some of them are first offenders and that notwithstanding, they will still face the wrath of the law. We have told them that we are keeping data of infringements.
“If they commit further offences, the punishment will be stiffer to serve as deterrent to others. The essence is not for punitive, but of course, corrective,” he said.
Stating that it was ungodly for petroleum marketers to shortchange customers, he emphasized that the essence of the surveillance was to ensure customers got values for their money, one litre for one litre.
Ohwodiasa further appealed to the public to inform the NMDPRA, Warri, of sharp practices by the petroleum marketers, assuring that the authority would take appropriate action on such information and give feedback to the informants.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has vowed to upgrade its nine laboratories for testing petroleum products.
Responding to the SERVICOM Compliance Evaluation (SPE) assessment report on the Authority presented in Abuja, which alleged the Authority relies on independent laboratories for its tests, the Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed debunked the claim that the authority has no laboratories for testing products.
He said: “I promise you. And then the other one is lack of laboratories. I think I will retrace it, because we have about nine laboratories that was inherited from the default detail.
“So we do have laboratories, however, but the ones we inherited, we need to upgrade them to be more technologically advanced, especially in view of enormous responsibility of testing of different components of the products being supplied or produced globally.”
He said it was in line with international best practices that NMDPRA has been using independent laboratories.
He however promised to improve on the assessment which rated the authority good in terms of performance.
He attributed the complaint of stakeholders about communication gap to downtime network services.
Ahmed pledged to improve on the weaknesses that the SERVICOM report pointed out.
The SERVICOM Director General, Nnena Akajimeli said the” management of NMDPRA should upgrade and maintain its technical systems to minimize technical glitches and fully automate its process.
“This will improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the registration process and enhance customer satisfaction.”
Among other things, the report said there were complaints about the charges of fees and levies of the Authority, which they described as too high and called for downward review.
It also said there were multiple charges from different agencies.
In terms of strength, NMDPRA was commended for automating its operations.
It was also extolled for working overtime, especially during fuel scarcity.
The report added that in Gombe Regional Office, “It was confirmed that the NMDPRA Gombe State Office actively consults with partners and stakeholders.
“Engagement with Top Executives of IPMAN, NARTO and PTD. This plays a crucial role in fostering communication, collaboration and continuous improvement in service delivery processes/systems.
“Evidence from the state office indicates that staff worked outside office hours and on weekends to fulfil the Authority’s demanding responsibilities. This dedication has significantly enhanced efficiency.
“Customers of the Authority commended the State office for prompt attention given to enquiries and applications etc. This has brought confidence in the process and has led to effective delivery of services.”
Akajimeli said as indicated in the chart above, service delivery is rated 3-star and considered acceptable in Thirteen (13) Regional offices and field offices.”
She added that ” It is important to note that there is need for deliberate continuous improvement in order to attain higher rankings of Commendable and Praiseworthy.”