The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has proposed new regulations aimed at preventing fuel price-fixing and other anti-competitive practices in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

The draft Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Prevention of Anti-Competitive Practices and Behaviour Regulations, 2026 seeks to prohibit petroleum companies from coordinating fuel prices, creating artificial scarcity, sharing markets, rigging bids, or engaging in any arrangement capable of restricting competition.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, the Authority invited licensees, permit holders and other stakeholders to submit comments on the proposed regulations within 21 days, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. It also announced that a stakeholders’ consultation forum will be held on September 22, 2026, at its headquarters in Abuja.

Under the proposed rules, companies would be barred from coordinating pump prices, ex-depot prices, freight charges, discounts and other pricing elements. The regulations also seek to prevent firms from limiting production or fuel supply to create artificial shortages or influence market prices.

The draft further prohibits market-sharing arrangements, bid rigging and the exchange of commercially sensitive information, such as future pricing plans, production schedules, customer lists and bidding strategies, where such actions could weaken competition.

According to the NMDPRA, the proposed framework is intended to promote a transparent, competitive and consumer-focused petroleum market while strengthening its powers to investigate and sanction anti-competitive conduct in the midstream and downstream sectors.

If approved after stakeholder consultations, the regulations will provide a legal framework for tackling unfair market practices and reinforcing competition provisions under the Petroleum Industry Act.