Belgium, Netherlands stop export of dirty petrol to Nigeria, others

In a deliberate move to improve the quality of petrol exported to Nigeria and other West African countries, Belgium has joined the Netherlands by stopping exportation of dirty fuel.

Meanwhile, though the two countries are major exporters of fuel to the country, others include Norway, United Kingdom, and India.

Belgium has recently announced its plans to tighten environmental rules regarding fuel exports to the country and other West African countries.

This decision follows similar actions taken by the Netherlands, a major petroleum exporter to Nigeria.

The move is meant to improve the quality of fuels imported by Nigeria and reduce the risk of engine damage caused by low-quality gasoline and diesel.

Belgium’s tightening of rules is expected to have a significant impact on the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub, which is known as the world’s leading petrol exporting region.

Some of Europe’s largest oil refineries, including those operated by TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil, are located in this area. With the introduction of stricter regulations, northern Europe’s role in supplying Africa with dirtier fuels is expected to diminish.

Nigeria has been importing significant amounts of refined petroleum, with the country becoming the 18th largest importer in the world.

The top countries exporting refined petroleum to Nigeria are the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, India, and the United Kingdom. However, the recent incident involving excessive levels of methanol in imported petrol highlighted the need for tighter regulation of fuel standards in Nigeria.