The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has stepped up efforts to enforce petroleum product quality standards through laboratory upgrades, retail outlet inspections and a new partnership with global inspection and certification firm Bureau Veritas.
The initiative is aimed at improving the accuracy and reliability of fuel testing, strengthening regulatory compliance and ensuring that petroleum products supplied to Nigerians meet approved quality and safety standards.
The Authority carried out the exercise in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where it inspected randomly selected retail outlets, tested dispensing pumps and collected petroleum product samples for laboratory analysis.
The Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Dr Mustapha Lamorde, represented the NMDPRA Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, during the exercise.
According to the Authority, inspectors assessed the integrity and accuracy of dispensing pumps and collected fuel samples to verify compliance with prescribed product specifications.
Retail outlets found to have violated regulatory requirements were sealed and subjected to sanctions in line with the Authority’s enforcement procedures.
Samples collected during the inspections were subsequently taken to NMDPRA’s newly upgraded laboratory in Port Harcourt for detailed testing.
The laboratory is one of nine facilities operated by the Authority across Lagos, Warri, Calabar, Owerri, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Maiduguri. The facilities are undergoing progressive upgrades to meet international ISO standards.
The modernisation programme is designed to strengthen the Authority’s capacity to conduct accurate, reliable and timely petroleum product testing across Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum sectors.
The exercise culminated in the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding between NMDPRA, Bureau Veritas’ Laboratories and Product Quality Testing Division, and Ace Energy and Power Solutions Limited.
Titled “Collaboration for Enhanced Product Testing, Quality Assurance and Laboratory Development in Nigeria,” the agreement is intended to strengthen technical cooperation, improve testing capabilities and support the development of a world-class National Reference Laboratory in Nigeria under the NMDPRA.
The partnership is expected to reinforce the scientific and technical capacity supporting petroleum product regulation, complementing the Authority’s field inspections and enforcement activities.
The initiative forms part of NMDPRA’s broader efforts to protect consumers, improve petroleum product quality assurance and promote compliance with established safety and technical standards throughout the downstream and midstream petroleum value chain.
