Nigeria’s petroleum regulator has launched a formal consultation on draft rules designed to curb anti-competitive conduct across the midstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas industry. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) published the notice on Thursday, inviting licensees, permit holders and other interested parties to review and comment on the proposed Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations.
Chief Executive Officer Rabiu Umar said the exercise fulfills a statutory requirement under Section 216(1) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which obliges the authority to consult stakeholders before finalising any regulation. Submissions must be received within 21 days of the notice’s publication.
The proposed framework targets behaviour that could distort competition in the supply, distribution and marketing of petroleum products. It arrives as the sector grapples with persistent price volatility in petrol and diesel markets over the past six months. Only weeks earlier, NMDPRA had reaffirmed its commitment to cost-reflective pricing, signalling a broader push to align market dynamics with regulatory oversight.
Industry analysts view the consultation as a critical step toward operationalising the competition provisions of the PIA, which was enacted to overhaul governance in Africa’s largest oil-producing Economy. The authority has not specified a timeline for finalising the regulations, but stakeholders are expected to engage actively given the potential impact on licensing terms, pricing mechanisms and market entry conditions.
NMDPRA said all comments will be considered before the regulations are gazetted. The outcome will shape how competitive practices are defined, monitored and enforced in a sector that remains central to Nigeria’s fiscal stability and energy security.
