General
Belgium Assures Nigeria, Others Quality Petrol, Diesel
By Adedapo Adesanya
One of Nigeria’s key sources of imports for petrol and diesel, Belgium, is tightening regulations to boost quality fuels to Nigeria and other West African countries.
Belgium, a major exporter of petrol and other fuels to Nigeria, is following the Netherlands in tightening environmental rules, officials told Reuters.
The Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub is the world’s leading petrol exporting region and hosts some of Europe’s largest oil refineries including plants operated by TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil.
Despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, moribund infrastructure and underinvestment makes Nigeria dependent on importing its fuels.
In February 2022, a large consignment of imported petrol had to be withdrawn from the market in Nigeria, after it was found to have excessive levels of methanol, which was causing engine damage in vehicles.
The development raised serious concerns over the regulation of fuel standards in Nigeria. Specifically, the fuel was imported from Antwerp in Belgium, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
In 2021, Nigeria imported $11.3 billion in refined petroleum, becoming the 18th largest importer of refined petroleum in the world. In the same year, refined petroleum was the 1st most imported product in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s imports of refined petrol during the year were: Netherlands ($3.62 billion), Belgium ($1.78 billion), Norway ($1.2 billion), India ($992 million), and the United Kingdom ($760 million).
However, after the Netherlands introduced legislation in April to tighten the specification for its road fuel exports, Belgium’s environment and energy ministries are now planning to introduce their own draft rules to tighten the quality of exported fuels.
This would further reduce northern Europe’s role in supplying Africa with dirtier petrol and diesel, which have been proven to cause significant health problems.
However, this may also lead to rising costs for poorer nations.
The office of Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Ms Zakia Khattabi is working with Energy Minister, Ms Tinne Van der Straeten to prepare a royal decree to introduce the law, a spokesperson for Mr Khattabi told Reuters.
“It is evident that we must join forces and combine our expertise to halt the export of toxic fuels to third-party nations,” Ms Van der Straeten said in a statement.
The draft is expected to be ready within two weeks and, barring major political hurdles could become law by February next year, the environment ministry said.
Nigeria has in recent years cut sulphur content allowances for imported fuels.
However, its current specification for petrol remains at 150 sulphur parts per million (ppm), three times above Belgium’s proposed limits. The maximum allowed sulphur content for gasoline sold in the European Union is 10 ppm.
“There can be no double standards when it comes to products that pose environmental and health risks,” Van der Straeten said.
The Belgian government began researching the legislation in part due to concerns that “part of the export of these fuels from the Netherlands would come to Belgium”, Ms Khattabi’s spokesperson, Mr Mathias Bienstman said.
The Netherlands’ share of Northwest Europe’s exports to West Africa fell from around 47 per cent in the first quarter to just 15 per cent in October, according to tracking data from analytics firm Vortexa, while Belgium’s share rose from 34 per cent in the first quarter to 65 per cent last month.
The earliest the decree could be passed in February, the ministries hope, but the timeline will depend on the extent to which collaboration with the wider Belgian federal government, advisory council, and European Union is required.
It was reported that while an implementation date has not yet been decided, it usually comes six months after the publication of a royal decree, Mr Bienstman said.
By Dipo Olowookere
The ex-depot prices of two major petroleum products, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, have been slashed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
The company announced the reduction in prices of the products in a statement on Saturday evening.
The Lagos-based private refinery said its latest action was to reinforce its commitment to making refined petroleum products more affordable and supporting economic activities across Nigeria.
The cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Dangote refinery comes as the global crude oil prices continue to moderate, amid expectations that the United States of America and Iran will agree on a ceasefire very soon and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This narrow vessel passage accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil consumption. It has been closed for more than two months because of the Middle East crisis.
On February 28, 2026, America and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran, killing its Supreme Leader and other top government officials.
Iran fought back by attacking US bases in the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others. It also shut down the Strait of Hormuz, causing the price of oil to almost hit $120 per barrel.
The crisis faraway in the Middle East, rather than becoming a blessing to Nigeria, put citizens under untold hardship, as the price of petroleum products, especially PMS, jumped from around N800 per litre to almost N1,500 per litre.
On Friday, the price of Brent crude was about $94 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was about $89 per barrel.
Ostensibly in response to this, the Dangote refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of petrol to N1,250 per litre from N1,275 per litre, while the price of diesel has been cut to N1,700 per litre from N1,800 per litre.
Since commencing operations, the 650,000 barrels per day refinery has increasingly supplied the domestic market with refined products aimed at eliminating the country’s dependence on imported fuels.
The company claimed it decided to slash the price to improve supply efficiency, deepen domestic refining, and provide cost relief to consumers and businesses that depend heavily on petroleum products for transportation, power generation and industrial operations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to compel the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to suspend the planned increase in shipping charges pending the review by the standing committee.
According to Mr Lucky Amiwero, the president of the body, in a letter to the President, the increase is a clear contravention of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in respect of local shipping charges between providers and users of shipping/Port and related service approved by the federal government.
The MoU under Articles 2(b)&4 clearly states that any other charges shall require agreement between the Parties concerned through the Nigerian Shippers Council, which must be complied with.
“In line with the provisions of Articles 2 and 4 of the Memorandum of Understanding, there is a need to follow the prescribed procedure as contained in the MOU. First is by submitting the information of the increase to the standing committee, including the detailed information, why the increase, and the percentage, to the standing committee for consideration and review of any increase
“We hereby request the suspension of any Local Shipping Charges increase, pending the review by the standing committee, which entails the detailed information of the increase, the Percentage (%), and if the Increase is necessary, to be sent to the standing Committee as approved by the Federal Government,” he said.
The official said the NSC were supposed to forward all detailed information on the increase in the local shipping charges to the standing committee, who are signatory to the MOU, and then to review in line with the approved federal government directive.
“We refer the government to the usual procedure of initiating an increase in local shipping charges. Notification of increase as proposed is always forwarded to the standing committee, reference 2003 NSC/TOD/FPS/011/VOL.V/54 OF 20TH JUNE, and NSC/TOD/FPS/011/VOL.35 OF 14TH April 2003 in line with article 2(b)&4 of the MOU.
“In line with Article 2(b)&4 of the memorandum of understanding, the request made by Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), which was forwarded to the Shippers Council and the Shippers Council forwarded the same to the technical standing committee for review,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The presidency has raised alarm over what it described as a growing pattern of digitally manipulated content aimed at exploiting religious sentiments for political purposes.
In a public service announcement issued by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, it was disclosed that “deliberate attempts” to mislead Nigerians through deep fake videos and false narratives across online platforms had been identified.
According to the statement, a manipulated video surfaced on Tuesday, featuring altered audio and false attributions designed to portray President Bola Tinubu in a negative light.
It noted that a similar attempt followed shortly after, involving a fabricated video linked to a religious leader, allegedly intended to incite Muslim communities against the President.
The presidency said the recurring pattern suggests a coordinated effort to inflame religious tensions and sow division, particularly as political activities begin to intensify ahead of future elections.
It warned that “desperate actors” are likely to continue deploying misinformation tactics, including distorting religious messages, manipulating context, and spreading provocative content through social media and messaging platforms.
The presidency urged Nigerians to exercise caution before sharing sensitive or inflammatory content, encouraging citizens to question the motives behind such materials and to verify information through credible sources.
Describing the trend as “coordinated manipulation at scale,” it stressed that such actions are neither patriotic nor reflective of genuine political engagement.
The statement further warned that individuals and groups involved in the creation and dissemination of false information would be held accountable under relevant Nigerian laws, including those relating to cybercrime, incitement, and threats to public peace and national security.
It concluded by calling on citizens to remain vigilant and united in safeguarding the country’s social cohesion against digital disinformation.
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