ECOWAS unified fuel standard talks at advanced stage – NMDPRA

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) revealed on Wednesday that discussions on a unified regional energy market, particularly a uniform fuel standard, have progressed to an advanced stage within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Rabiu Umar, NMDPRA's Chief Executive and Chairman of the West Africa Regulators’ Forum (WARF), made the disclosure during an interview with journalists following the second West Africa Refined Fuel Market Conference in Abuja.

Umar emphasized the need for the region to integrate and capitalize on each country's strengths. He reiterated that while Nigeria has some inefficient refineries, the Dangote refinery is significantly altering the distribution of products, necessitating the establishment of a free flow of petroleum products across borders. Vera Blei, Head of Platts at S&P Global Energy, confirmed that achieving a regional price benchmark is feasible, but it requires stakeholders to collaborate and collectively outline a pathway to attain it.

In June, ECOWAS held a study tour in Accra, Ghana, to discuss the implementation of Directive C/DIR.1/9/2020 on Harmonized Specifications for Automotive Fuels, aiming to enhance fuel quality enforcement, share best practices, identify common challenges, and bolster cooperation among regulatory bodies across ECOWAS for the effective implementation of the regional directive.