The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has announced plans to begin issuing licences for lubricant importation.

The move is aimed at curbing the circulation of substandard products in the country.

NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ workshop held on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ahmed, who was represented by the Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Petroleum Products Import, Transportation and Infrastructure,

Francis Ogaree, said the initiative is designed to strengthen regulatory oversight and halt the spread of low-quality and unauthorized lubricants in Nigeria, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

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

“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,” it said.

As part of the process, the NMDPRA has launched a Lubricant Importation Module on its LOBP Portal to streamline the application, approval, and monitoring of lubricant imports. The module is integrated with the Nigeria Customs Service’s BÓdugwu platform, enabling seamless clearance, real-time tracking, and enhanced compliance.

The authority stated that the new licensing framework aligns with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which mandates it to enforce quality and safety standards across all petroleum products, including lubricants.

Ahmed described the initiative as a vital move to create a transparent, efficient, and quality-driven importation system that will strengthen Nigeria’s petroleum industry and promote greater self-sufficiency.

The Director of Liquid at HPPITI, Mrs. Ngozi Nwankwo, said the new requirements are intended to eliminate substandard imports, enhance transparency, encourage local blending, and protect consumers and machinery.

She noted that the Lubricant Import Licence is an official approval issued by NMDPRA to qualified companies, adding that only traceable and fully compliant importers will be licensed under the new system.

The Executive Director of the Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Obidike, cautioned that the licensing move could harm existing lubricant plants and stall recent industry growth, posing a threat to over 200,000 direct jobs and potentially discouraging investment in the sector.

He further stated that the decision undermines the lubricant policy currently being developed by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and contradicts the government’s backward integration agenda.