Aligning the Regulatory Framework for Assessing the Quality of Petroleum Products in Nigeria
Working Paper
The proliferation of substandard locally made and imported products is one of the contemporary challenges bedevilling the country. Specifically, low quality petroleum products have economic and non-economic (social, safety, health and environmental) costs. The SON Act allows the organisation to undertake investigation as necessary into the qualities of facilities, systems, services, materials and products, whether imported or domestically produced. This is perceived to include petroleum facilities, materials and products. The Petroleum Industry Act also allows the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to monitor and ensure compliance with the standards for the processing of petroleum products in Nigeria. To avoid regulatory conflicts and overlap, it is recommended that the SON Act is amended to note that the quality compliance of some products may be beyond the expertise of the SON and hence the need to collaborate with the regulators of the specific sectors.