NMPDRA Bars Unlicensed Oil Marketers From Loading Products From June 1

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMPDRA, has disclosed that as of June 1st 2023, operators without licenses conveying about 500 litres of petroleum products would not be permitted to load or distribute.

Executive director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMPDRA, Ogbugo Ukoha, made this known at a stakeholders engagement on gas utility in Nigeria, held in Abuja yesterday.

Ukoha warned that there would be heavy penalties for any depot or licensed operator that chooses to supply petroleum products to an unlicensed facility.

According to him, “As of June 1st, no licence, no loading. So we still have like nine days to do the right thing and comply. As the scripture says obedience is better than sacrifice. As a regulator, we prefer for people to comply so that it doesn’t have adverse effects on their businesses.

“However, if there is no compliance, we can assure you from the Authority that from 1st June, there will be no license and no loading. Any depot, any licensed operator who supplies petroleum products to an unlicensed facility, we will shut down that operator.”

He appealed to operators that handle over 500-litre storage, to obtain their licenses and comply with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA and the NMPDRA regulations.

“I want to make a special appeal that anybody who wants to handle petroleum products in excess of 500-litre storage is required to obtain a licence. Our licence procedure will go through what your equipment is, the distance, the hazards, procedures and everything.

“The Authority accordingly appeals to all petroleum handlers to fully comply with the provisions of the PIA and NMDPRA regulations and thereby avoid strong regulatory enforcement which may adversely impact business operations. The Authority’s statutory mandate remains to enable industry growth” Ukoha stated.

In his welcome address, chief executive officer NMPDRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed urged petroleum operators and consumers to embrace the advantage of different fuels, particularly gas.

Ahmed, who was represented by the executive director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Dr. Mustapha Lamorde said, “We seek to encourage large consumers of petroleum products to not only operate within the regulatory space but also to become aware of the comparative advantages between the dif