West Africa Broadens Strategy To Adopt Regional Regulatory Framework, Harmonised Fuel Quality

West African petroleum regulatory Agencies are looking at broader partnerships and collaboration that will help deliver harmonised fuel quality standards, improved infrastructure and stronger regulatory coordination to facilitate cross-border trade and reduce market barriers.

Rabiu Umar, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), while speaking during a panel session on “Regulatory Convergence in African Oil and Gas Markets” at the 20th OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week in Lagos, said that differences in fuel specifications across countries made it difficult to compare products and ensure fair competition.

Umar cited the disparity between diesel specifications of 50 parts per million (ppm) and 1,500 ppm, noting that such inconsistencies complicated efforts to harmonise standards across the region.

According to Umar, West African countries needed common product specifications and coordinated production rules to facilitate trade and promote competition.

Umar also advocated the establishment of a West African reference price for petroleum products, saying that regional markets needed to strengthen trade among African producers.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mr. Godwin Tameklo, on his part said that inadequate infrastructure was another major constraint to regional petroleum trade.

Tameklo explained that Ghana’s port and storage facilities could not always accommodate volumes delivered by larger vessels, forcing operators to consider smaller shipments or alternative arrangements.

He said that countries needed to address infrastructure gaps, regulatory differences and market constraints to improve the cross-border movement of petroleum products.

Tameklo also stressed the need for clear implementation timelines to ensure that regional harmonisation initiatives translated into practical results.

On his part, the Director of Water, Petroleum and Electricity at The Gambia’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), Mr. Musa Njie, highlighted the importance of laboratory facilities in testing petroleum product quality.

Njie identified the absence of a laboratory for petroleum product testing as one of the challenges facing The Gambia, and stressed the need to strengthen national quality assurance systems.

He said that harmonisation efforts should protect public health and the environment while improving market efficiency.

Njie also called for stronger coordination between regional frameworks and national regulatory institutions to ensure effective implementation of agreed standards.

The reports that the discussions underscored the need for West African countries to align fuel specifications, strengthen testing capacity, address infrastructure gaps and improve enforcement systems to facilitate more effective regional petroleum trade