Cracking down on fuel pump fraud

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority’s (NMDPRA) latest crackdown on fuel under-dispensing is unquestionably necessary, though it is a sporadic routine that is never sustained. Its directive that all filling stations immediately calibrate and verify their dispensers and totalisers, backed by the threat of licence revocation for persistent or serious violations, addresses a practice that motorists have long complained about. The regulator says it has confirmed incidents of under-dispensing nationwide and has intensified inspections. About 20 stations were reportedly sealed between 2025 and 2026 for the offence. Yet the timing for this heartless exploitation o...