Senate Rejects NMDPRA Fuel Import Figures Amid Discrepancies

The Senate, through its Committee on Public Accounts, has rejected the fuel import figures presented by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for 2022 and 2023. The committee identified significant discrepancies between NMDPRA's records and those of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as noted in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit.

NMDPRA's Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, represented by Deputy Director Mrs. Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, stated that NMDPRA recorded 3.29 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imported in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023, while NNPCL reported 6.27 billion litres in 2022 and 3.88 billion litres in 2023. The committee members, including Senators Abdul Ningi, Dayo Faduyile, and Anietan Bassey, expressed concerns over the conflicting figures, suggesting potential sharp practices.

Consequently, Committee Chairman Senator Hassan Dankwambo announced plans to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL, and NEITI for further explanation.