NMDPRA Shuts Two Port Harcourt Filling Stations Over Under-Dispensing
Two Port Harcourt petrol stations have been sealed after NMDPRA inspections found that motorists were receiving less fuel than they paid for.
Two retail fuel outlets in Port Harcourt have been shut by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority after inspectors detected under-dispensing during a compliance exercise in Rivers State.
The affected outlets are MRS Filling Station on Azikiwe Road and Stageoil Filling Station along Aba Road. Regulators visited several other stations during the operation, including NNPC outlets at Lagos Bus Stop and Trans Amadi, as well as Reinoil and TotalEnergies facilities.
According to NMDPRA Executive Director for Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mustapha Lamorde, the exercise examined three main areas: the volume of petroleum products delivered to customers, product quality and safety conditions at retail stations. The checks covered petrol, diesel and kerosene, while samples were also taken at random for immediate screening.
Lamorde said inspectors identified outlets where dispensing equipment was delivering less product than customers were being charged for. Those stations were closed pending further regulatory action. The authority said sanctions would follow where breaches were established through its enforcement process.
The inspection also found a different problem at another station, where a pump was dispensing more fuel than indicated. NMDPRA directed the operator to suspend sales from the affected equipment and recalibrate it before resuming service. Lamorde said the measure was intended to prevent the station from continuing to lose product through inaccurate dispensing.
The regulator said its wider objective is to ensure motorists receive the quantity and quality of fuel for which they pay. It also linked product quality checks to possible effects on vehicles, public health and the environment. Outlets found to be meeting the required standards were encouraged to maintain their level of compliance.
NMDPRA said monitoring of filling stations is carried out continuously, with field personnel deployed in different parts of Nigeria. Consumers were encouraged to report suspected breaches through the authority's official communication channels so complaints can be investigated and appropriate action taken where necessary.
Separately, the Port Harcourt visit included the signing of a three-party memorandum of understanding involving NMDPRA, Bureau Veritas and Ace Energy Group. Lamorde signed for the regulator's chief executive, Rabiu Umar, while Daniel Wilbert represented Bureau Veritas and Christopher Nwokolo represented Ace Energy Group.
The agreement is intended to improve petroleum product testing, quality assurance and laboratory capacity. NMDPRA said the collaboration would support stronger field analysis, more standardised operating procedures and alignment with international practices, while the regulator would retain responsibility for petroleum product quality oversight.