SoTLAN: Nigeria has capacity to test for adulterated fuel

The Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria (SoTLAN) says laboratories in the country have the capacity to test petroleum products imported from abroad.

Nigerians have been facing a fuel shortage after petrol with methanol quantities above specification was discovered in the supply chain.

Mele Kyari, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, had said the off-spec petrol cargoes were able to get into the country because Nigeria does not usually test for methanol content.

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, SoTLAN president, said laboratories in the country could have easily detected the off-spec petrol if the government had patronised them.

“We, SoTLAN, the Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria, therefore note with regret the recent issue of adulterated Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) imported into the country, which has not only been an embarrassment, but has caused severe and unwarranted hardship on citizens of the country by way of damage to vehicular engines, fuel scarcity and traffic gridlocks,” Ogunmoyela said.

“It is clear that the nation has a challenge of scarcity of foreign exchange and has demonstrated and avowed commitment to look inwards. Yet, for many years, it has persistently chosen to patronize mainly foreign laboratory companies in the analysis and certification of imported petroleum products into the country.

“It is sad that the government agency in charge has come out to claim that the imported fuel had a high methanol content, which was somehow not detected during testing, because this is not in the normal testing protocol, before being released to depots for lifting.

“As a professional body, SoTLAN condemns as unacceptable the present national embarrassment arising from the importation of methanol-contaminated petroleum motor spirit into the country by the NNPC or other authorised companies.

“SoTLAN wishes to reiterate that we can no longer afford to put the fate of the country in the hands of foreigners. We have scientists and professionals practising locally of high integrity, who are well respected and recognised all over the world, and we recognize the importance of supporting and investing in the development of our laboratory sector to international standards so that we can look inwards.”

SoTLAN also urged the government to take urgent steps to support and empower public analysts and relevant testing laboratories.