Nigeria to upgrade petroleum laboratories to tackle adulteration

Nigerian Midstream Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), yesterday, said about nine obsolete laboratories, which are meant to certify petroleum products used in the country will be modernised and upgraded to address issues relating to the quality of the products consumed in the country.

This comes as the Federal Government’s Service Compact (SERVICOM) demands improvement from the agency, insisting that while the regulator was rated above par, there was room for improvement, especially in lack of reward system, lack of laboratories, inadequate working tools, inadequate on the job training and network glitches.

The report of the agency also raised concerns over the increase in licences, permits, and approval charges payable to MDPRA for services, noting that the development increased the cost of doing petroleum business for stakeholders.

The scoreboard from the agency further reiterated concerns by marketers, who expressed dissatisfaction regarding duplication of duties by regulatory agencies, especially inspection and regulation of fuel pumps among

According to SERVICOM, the development creates uncertainties and frustrates customers and stakeholders.

Reacting to the issues, Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, said the agency inherited about nine laboratories from the previous system.

He said the agency faced the challenge of upgrading assets to meet modern technological standards.