Filling station operators across the country are under pressure to check and recalibrate their dispensing equipment as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority intensifies its crackdown on outlets accused of under-dispensing petrol to motorists.
The regulator’s latest directive followed a series of enforcement operations carried out in the past, in which several filling stations were sealed for short-measuring customers, with the authority warning that persistent offenders risk losing their operating licences.
About 20 filling stations were reportedly sealed by the regulator between 2025 and 2026 for under-dispensing.
Following the NMDPRA warning, petroleum marketers said they had risen to ensure fuel retailers give customers the right value for their money. While some of them said pump attendants might be responsible for such sharp practices, others said faulty fuel pumps could be responsible for under-dispensing.
The NMDPRA, in an industry notice issued on Tuesday, directed all retail outlet operators to immediately calibrate and verify their dispensers and totalisers to ensure that consumers receive the full quantity of petroleum products for which they pay.
The authority said it had observed incidents of under-dispensing at retail outlets nationwide, describing the practice as a serious breach of consumer trust.
The regulator warned that outlets found under-dispensing, operating improperly calibrated equipment or otherwise compromising dispensing accuracy would be required to take immediate corrective action.
It added that persistent or serious violations would attract sanctions, “up to and including revocation of the outlet’s licence”.
IPMAN alerts members
Reacting to the directive, the Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the association had circulated the NMDPRA notice to its members nationwide.
Ukadike said marketers were operating in a competitive environment where product quality, price and quantity were important factors in attracting and retaining customers.
He explained that the deregulated nature of the downstream sector made it important for independent marketers to protect their reputation and retain customers.
“I’m aware of the NMDPRA notice. We have also distributed the information to our members nationwide, drawing their attention to the NMDPRA notice. But I still want to let you know that we are in a very competitive environment. What drives the market is: one, quality of the product; two, price of the product; three, quantity of the product.
“These are the things that drive this kind of market now. We are in a deregulated economy. And what drives your market is your ability to convince your customers and sustain your customers. You have seen the innovations that we have done in all our businesses nationwide. We are ready for this deregulation and this competition. So nobody will indulge in underselling or cheating customers,” Ukadike said.
However, he acknowledged that sharp practices by individual pump attendants could not be completely ruled out, saying IPMAN was working to reorient its members and their employees.
“But sometimes you cannot rule out some sharp practices from some of our pump attendants, which is why we are trying to go nationwide now, to see how we can reorientate them, to be steadfast and truthful to customers,” he noted.
Ukadike disclosed that the association would not allow customers to be cheated at the pump, stressing that marketers had a responsibility to ensure that their dispensing equipment remained accurate