ABUJA — The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members nationwide to immediately initiate rigorous technical checks and calibration audits of all dispensing meters across their service stations.
The executive directive follows a severe warning issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which revealed that routine surveillance visits uncovered widespread instances of pump under-dispensing, meter tampering, and volume manipulation at several retail outlets across the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry instructed state executives, regional task forces, and station managers to collaborate with certified weights-and-measures inspectors to audit dispensing equipment. He stressed that retail outlet owners must ensure that every pump accurately reflects the precise volume paid for by consumers, warning that any operator caught shortchanging the public will face immediate association sanctions alongside regulatory prosecution.
Gillis-Harry affirmed PETROAN’s zero-tolerance stance against unethical commercial practices, emphasizing that under-dispensing erodes public trust in independent marketers while placing unfair financial burdens on motorists navigating current economic adjustments. He urged station operators to maintain daily calibration logs and report technical malfunctions in real time to avoid enforcement penalties.
Reiterating its regulatory mandate, the NMDPRA warned that enforcement teams have been deployed to step up unannounced inspections across major transport corridors and urban hubs. The authority reaffirmed that any filling station found guilty of operating adjusted or uncalibrated meters will face immediate operational shutdown, revocation of operating licenses, and heavy administrative fines.
