By EMMANUELLA ANOKAM

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says it will begin the issuance of licence for lubricant importation to curb influx of substandard and counterfeit lubricants into the country.

Mr Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive, NMDPRA, made this known in Abuja on Wednesday, at a Stakeholders’ Workshop on NMDPRA Requirements for Lubricant Importation.

Ahmed, represented by Francis Ogaree, Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure (HPPITI), said that the development was to ensure proper regulation, prevent influx of low quality, unauthorised and substandard lubricants circulation.

“NMDPRA has also rolled out the Lubricant Importation Module on the Lube Oil Blending Plant (LOBP) Portal — a tool designed to simplify the application, approval, and monitoring process for lubricant imports,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the digital platform (LOBP Portal) is integrated with the Nigeria Customs Service BÓdugwu platform, ensuring seamless import clearance, real-time data tracking, and improved compliance enforcement.

The move becomes necessary in order to control and monitor the entry of lubricants into the Nigerian market, ensuring that only quality certified lubricants are imported into the country.

Ahmed said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, mandated the NMDPRA to ensure that all petroleum products, including lubricants, met strict quality and safety standards.

He described the development as a significant step toward building a transparent, efficient and quality-driven lubricant importation process that reflected the shared vision of a more resilient and self-sufficient petroleum industry in Nigeria.

“We take this responsibility seriously, as poor-quality lubricants do more than damage engines; they damage trust, hurt productivity and create unnecessary economic waste.

“For importers, this means faster approvals, better transparency and clearer expectations.

“For our local producers, this enhanced oversight will help identify products that can and should be produced locally giving your businesses more room to grow in a level playing field.

“And for all industry players, it means improved accountability and shared responsibility for upholding the integrity of the Nigerian market.

“Let it be clear that this initiative is not designed to restrict trade, rather, it is meant to strengthen our industry and ensure that only high-quality products circulate in the market.

“It is also meant to align with President Bola Tinubu’s industrialisation agenda, to reduce over-reliance on imports and promote local capacity,” he said.

Ahmed, while urging the stakeholders to comply with the regulation, commended the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service, the HPPITI Directorate and all stakeholders who contributed to the development of the initiative.

In a presentation, Mrs Ngozi Nwankwo, Director, Liquid, HPPITI, said the new requirements became necessary to stop substandard lubricants circulation, monitor imports and improve visibility, support local blending, reduce dependency and protect consumers and machinery.

“Lubricant Import Licence is an official authorisation issued by the NMDPRA. It grants eligible companies the legal right to import lubricant products into Nigeria,” she said.

Nwankwo said that the development would ensure that only traceable entities were engaged in lubricant importation, to uphold regulatory, safety, environmental and quality requirements.

The Executive Director, Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN), Mr Emeka Obidike, decried the development, saying it would affect existing lubricant plants nationwide.

Obidike also said that 200,000 direct jobs would be affected, while it would dissuade investment in the lubricant industry.

“It will kill the growth recorded in the last few years in the sector and set back the lubricant policy of the Federal Government, which is currently being perfected by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.

“This will work against the renewed hope agenda of the current administration of backward integration policy for the manufacturing sector.

“There will be increased breakdown to machineries all over the country as a result of low quality lubricant imported into the country with recycled oils without additives,” he said. (NAN)