You’re already paying over N900 per litre - but is what’s in your tank actually damaging your car? That’s the explosive question now haunting Nigeria’s fuel regulator.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, is in the hot seat again. According to cbinews.tv, a consumer watchdog - the Nigeria Energy Consumers Watch Initiative - has accused the regulator of looking the other way while adulterated and substandard fuel allegedly pours into the country.

And we’re not talking about small-time smuggling. The group specifically called out the continued importation of blended products from Dubai and other countries.

In a statement on Friday, its President, Alhaji Abdulrahman Sani Ibrahim, didn’t mince words:

“This is no longer a matter that can be treated with regulatory caution or empty threats.”

His point? The NMDPRA had already threatened to cut off supply to marketers dealing in bad fuel. But warnings without enforcement mean nothing at the pump.

This isn’t just regulator-talk. For the average Nigerian driver, okada rider, or small business owner running a generator, bad fuel is personal.

It wrecks engines, kills fuel pumps, doubles your mechanic bills, and forces danfos and kekes to charge more. At a time when transport costs are already brutal, you’re paying premium prices for a product that could be destroying your car.

As the group put it: “Nigerians are already paying heavily for fuel, and they should not also be made to bear the cost of poor regulation.”

This isn’t new. Remember February 2022? Nigeria had a nationwide fuel crisis after methanol-blended petrol was imported, damaging thousands of vehicles. That scandal led to the creation of stricter testing protocols - the very protocols now being questioned.

The NMDPRA’s job is simple: test every litre at the ports, depots and filling stations, and publish the results. The group says that isn’t happening transparently.

And the stakes are huge. Despite Dangote Refinery coming on stream, data from the regulator still shows Nigeria imported over 1.5 billion litres of PMS in Q1 2025 alone. With that volume, quality control can’t be guesswork.

They’ve laid out four clear demands:

Full probe into marketers allegedly importing the Dubai-blended products.

Immediate lab testing at ports, depots and retail outlets - not just paperwork.

Name and shame: Publish test results and sanction any marketer who fails.

Investigate the regulator itself: Did any NMDPRA officials fail in their duties?

The Federal Government is now being urged to force the NMDPRA to account publicly.

Will this be another warning that fizzles out, or will we finally see test results and sanctions? We’re watching.

As reported by cbinews.tv.

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