The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has intensified its crackdown on filling stations accused of under-dispensing petrol, directing operators nationwide to immediately inspect, calibrate and verify their fuel dispensing equipment.
The regulator said the directive followed the discovery of incidents in which motorists allegedly received less petrol than the quantity displayed on dispensing pumps or for which they had paid.
In an industry notice issued on Tuesday, the NMDPRA directed all retail outlet operators to check their dispensers and totalisers and ensure that the equipment accurately measures petroleum products.
The authority described under-dispensing as a serious breach of consumer trust and warned that filling stations found compromising dispensing accuracy would be required to take immediate corrective action. Persistent or serious violations, it said, could attract sanctions extending to the revocation of operating licences.
The latest action comes after a series of enforcement operations across the country. The NMDPRA previously sealed 11 petrol stations in Rivers State in February over alleged under-dispensing, faulty pumps and other regulatory violations.
The exercise, conducted in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt City local government areas, was carried out under the regulator’s “Operation One Litre for One Litre” surveillance initiative. The affected stations were to remain closed until the integrity of their dispensing systems was confirmed.
In Ogun State, the NMDPRA’s Abeokuta Field Office also sealed two filling stations in the Akute/Ajuwon area of Ifo Local Government Area in July over alleged under-dispensing and other infractions. One of the outlets was reportedly sealed several times for regulatory violations.
The regulator’s latest directive has prompted petroleum marketers to begin additional checks on their equipment.
The Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the NMDPRA notice had been circulated to members nationwide.
Ukadike said quantity, alongside product quality and price, was important to maintaining customers in the deregulated downstream petroleum market. He added that while deliberate manipulation could not be ruled out in individual cases, mechanical faults and worn-out dispensing equipment could also contribute to inaccurate measurements.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria also directed its members to inspect their dispensing meters. Its National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said the association had held an emergency meeting following the NMDPRA directive and instructed members to check their equipment.
Gillis-Harry said dispensing equipment could develop faults through prolonged use and advised motorists to monitor the quantity displayed on fuel pumps while purchasing petrol. He also encouraged consumers to request receipts and compare the quantity dispensed with their vehicle’s fuel capacity.
The NMDPRA’s enforcement campaign comes at a time when motorists are already facing elevated petrol prices. Recent market checks reported by Reuters put petrol prices at around N1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja and as high as N1,500 in some parts of northern Nigeria, while diesel prices have exceeded N2,000 per litre.
Against this backdrop, accurate measurement at filling stations has become a significant consumer-protection issue. Under-dispensing means a customer pays for a stated volume of petrol but receives less than that quantity.
The NMDPRA has therefore directed major industry associations, including IPMAN, PETROAN, the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, to notify their members and support compliance.
The authority said its intensified inspections were intended to protect consumers, promote transparency and maintain the integrity of petroleum product transactions.
The latest enforcement means filling station operators face increased scrutiny of their dispensing equipment, while stations found repeatedly violating measurement requirements risk tougher regulatory action, including possible loss of their operating licences.
