The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has partnered with Bureau Veritas and Ace Energy and Power Solutions Limited to improve petroleum product testing and quality control across Nigeria.
The agreement was signed at the authority’s office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a focus on laboratory development, staff training and improved regulatory monitoring.
Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community, who represented the Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Umar, said the partnership would strengthen testing procedures and equip laboratories with modern technology.
He said the agreement would support the authority’s pursuit of international accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 and improve the reliability of laboratory results used to monitor petroleum products.
According to Lamorde, NMDPRA operates nine laboratories nationwide. The first phase of its modernisation programme covers coastal facilities in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Calabar and Warri, while the second phase will focus on laboratories in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and other inland locations.
He added that the authority was digitalising laboratory operations to improve product certification and compliance monitoring. Plans are also underway to establish a National Reference Laboratory for confirmatory testing, research and training.
Lamorde said the upgraded Port Harcourt laboratory could detect sulphur at levels as low as 10 parts per billion. Its facilities also test key properties of petrol, diesel and kerosene.
Meanwhile, NMDPRA officials sealed two filling stations in Port Harcourt during field surveillance for separate offences.
Bureau Veritas Managing Director, Daniel Wilbert, welcomed the partnership, pledging to contribute the company’s international expertise in testing, inspection and certification to support quality and safety standards in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
