PETROAN Orders Nationwide Meter Checks After NMDPRA Under-Dispensing Warning

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members nationwide to immediately inspect their fuel dispensing meters following a warning by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over under-dispensing.

PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

He said the association convened an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council on Tuesday after the NMDPRA raised concerns about the accuracy of fuel dispensing equipment at retail outlets.

According to him, the meeting lasted until about 10pm, after which members were instructed to check their meters as quickly as possible and correct any faults identified.

Gillis-Harry said several operators had already commenced inspections, noting that dispensing equipment could develop faults through prolonged use and potentially result in either under-dispensing or over-dispensing.

The PETROAN president assured motorists that the association remained committed to ensuring that customers received the quantity of fuel displayed on the dispensing meters.

He also advised motorists to monitor the quantity displayed on pumps while purchasing fuel and request receipts for their transactions.

Gillis-Harry urged consumers to familiarise themselves with their vehicles’ fuel-tank capacities and use the information to cross-check the quantity indicated by fuel dispensers.

The NMDPRA had earlier directed filling station operators nationwide to immediately calibrate and verify their dispensers and totalisers after identifying incidents of under-dispensing.

The regulator described under-dispensing as a serious breach of consumer trust and warned that outlets found short-changing customers could face sanctions, including the withdrawal of their operating licences.

The authority also said it had intensified inspections and enforcement operations across the country.

Gillis-Harry said PETROAN was taking the regulator’s warning seriously and had begun working with its members to identify and address possible equipment faults.

He added that the association works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the NMDPRA to ensure that dispensing meters remain functional and accurate.

The development is expected to increase scrutiny of fuel dispensing equipment nationwide as regulators and industry operators move to ensure motorists receive the quantities for which they pay.