Federal Government has declared an end to the era of dirty fuels in Nigeria, saying all petrol supplied in the country now complies with a maximum sulphur content of 50 parts per million (ppm), in line with cleaner fuel standards being adopted across Africa.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja during a press briefing ahead of the Second West Africa Refined Fuel Conference scheduled for August 11 and 12.

Responding to questions from journalists, the Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, said Nigeria would no longer permit the supply of petroleum products with sulphur levels exceeding 50ppm.

“There has been progress in harmonising fuel specifications through the West Africa Regulators Forum and the Africa Refiners and Distributors Association. Nigeria does not produce anything above 50ppm. Whatever we are producing and supplying is within that specification,” Umar said.

The announcement marks a significant shift from previous years when Nigeria was criticised for importing high-sulphur fuels, commonly referred to as dirty fuels, which are associated with severe air pollution and adverse public health impacts.

Umar noted that adopting a common fuel specification across West Africa would make it easier for petroleum products refined in one country to be traded across the region without technical barriers.

He added that Nigeria’s products meet high-quality standards, positioning the country to play a bigger role in supplying refined petroleum products to neighbouring African markets as regional refining capacity expands.

The regulator also highlighted the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s contribution to improving domestic fuel availability while supporting exports to neighbouring countries.

Beyond fuel quality, the NMDPRA said stronger infrastructure, harmonised regulations and a regional petroleum pricing benchmark were essential to unlocking investment in West Africa’s downstream petroleum sector.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Umar said the initiative aims to establish West Africa as a credible regional marketplace where petroleum products can be traded efficiently, transparently and competitively.

According to him, the conference seeks to address the longstanding challenge of Africa producing significant volumes of crude oil while prices for its petroleum commodities are largely determined outside the continent.

“The vision is to establish West Africa as a credible regional marketplace where petroleum products can be traded efficiently, transparently and competitively.”

strengthening infrastructure, harmonising regulations and improving market data, the region can enhance price discovery, facilitate cross-border trade and attract greater investment,” he said.

The Authority said notable milestones had been achieved since the inaugural conference in 2025, including the establishment of the West Africa Regulators Forum, publication of West African reference prices and the opening of S&P Global Commodity Insights’ regional office in Abuja.

It added that this year’s conference, themed “Funding West Africa Infrastructure and Distribution to Create a Transparent Market for Regional Price Benchmarks”, would bring together regulators, investors, financial institutions and industry leaders to identify investment opportunities across pipelines, storage terminals, marine infrastructure, logistics corridors, digital trading platforms and strategic petroleum reserves.

Umar stressed that efficient markets depend on efficient infrastructure, noting that investments in pipelines, storage facilities, ports, rail systems and refineries would reduce logistics costs, improve energy security and strengthen regional integration.

He also reiterated the need for an African petroleum pricing benchmark, arguing that every major energy market has its own pricing index and that Africa should not continue to rely solely on external benchmarks as refining capacity across the continent continues to grow.

The conference is expected to produce new investment partnerships, infrastructure financing initiatives, stronger regulatory collaboration and policy recommendations aimed at creating a transparent and competitive regional refined petroleum market.