NMDPRA warns filling stations over under-dispensing: Fix your pumps or lose your licence

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has directed all retail outlet operators to immediately calibrate and verify their dispensers and totalisers, as it intensifies a crackdown on filling stations accused of under-dispensing petrol.

In an industry notice issued on Tuesday, the authority said it had observed incidents of under-dispensing at retail outlets nationwide, describing the practice as a serious breach of consumer trust. It warned that persistent or serious violations would attract sanctions, “up to and including revocation of the outlet’s licence”.

About 20 filling stations were reportedly sealed by the regulator between 2025 and 2026 for under-dispensing. The NMDPRA asked MEMAN, DAPPMAN, IPMAN and PETROAN to promptly notify their members and support full compliance.

Punch reports that the Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, said the notice had been circulated to members nationwide. “We are ready for this deregulation and this competition. So nobody will indulge in underselling or cheating customers,” he said.

Ukadike, however, acknowledged that sharp practices by some pump attendants could not be ruled out, adding that IPMAN was working to reorient its members and their employees.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) also directed its members to inspect their dispensing meters. National President Billy Gillis-Harry, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, said the association held an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday that lasted until about 10 pm.

He said prolonged use could cause equipment faults. “Equipment can be faulty over time because of usage,” Gillis-Harry said. He advised motorists to monitor the quantity displayed on the dispenser and request receipts after transactions.

The latest directive follows earlier enforcement action. In February, the NMDPRA sealed 11 petrol stations in Rivers State under its “Operation One Litre for One Litre” initiative. In July, its Abeokuta Field Office sealed two stations in the Akute/Ajuwon area of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, one of which had allegedly been sealed at least six times since 2025.

In October 2025, five stations were sealed in Akwa Ibom over various infractions, including alleged under-dispensing. In August 2025, NNPC Retail sanctioned staff at its Ikorodu, Lagos, station after a pump attendant allegedly attempted to short-change a customer.

The NMDPRA said its intensified inspections were aimed at protecting consumers, promoting transparency and ensuring that motorists receive the quantity of petroleum products for which they pay.