NMDPRA Proposes New Rules to Curb Petroleum Monopolies

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has proposed the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations, 2026, to eliminate monopolies and price-fixing in the petroleum sector. The framework consists of 138 regulations that prohibit market sharing, the coordination of pump prices, and the abuse of dominance. It specifically targets discriminatory access to pipelines and storage terminals while introducing oversight for AI-based pricing and digital markets.

To enforce these rules, the NMDPRA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on September 10, 2026. The agency also convened a workshop with government security agencies to deploy data-driven surveillance to combat fuel smuggling and diversion. These initiatives follow allegations that major fuel importers coordinated prices above those of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Simultaneously, the NMDPRA has intensified nationwide inspections to stop the under-dispensing of petroleum products. The authority ordered all retail outlet operators to calibrate dispensers and totalizers, warning that filling stations found tampering with pumps face license revocation. The agency called on industry groups, including MEMAN, DAPPMAN, IPMAN, and PETROAN, to ensure member compliance to protect consumer trust.