Nigeria still imports toxic fuel, UNEP laments

Nigeria tops list of countries in African yet to implement the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) ban of contaminated fuel, otherwise known as toxic fuel into its country.

This is after the expiration of five years given as the deadline for this non importation of fuel not certified by the international body.

Following a discovery that most substandard petroleum-finished products from Europe and America find their ways to the developing countries, both UNEP and other regional environmental bodies, among them African Refiners Association (ARA), rose from a meeting in 2011 mandating countries of the world to adopt a unified standard for ascertaining quality of fuel consumed by their citizens.

The coalition groups gave 2016 as the deadline for full implementation of the programme.

But a foreign news agency report quoting UNEP officials, said Nigeria had failed to comply with the directive, while other African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Morocco have each increased its fuel quality requirements gauge, in line with the programme.

In the West African sub region, only Ghana was mentioned as having gone some steps in actualising the programme, but is yet to finalise its mandate, as required.

Nigeria on the other hand was said to have cited the economic meltdown, which led to its worst recession, as reason for failing to implement the policy according to the timetable.

However, the cost of enjoying neater fuel may have other implications, including a slight rise in cost of most petroleum products in Nigeria.

For instance, the response from international oil traders to the programme is that at least additional $250,000 will be added as cost of each cargo of fuel as landing cost.

Analysts say for Nigeria, implementation of the programme would see another additional adjustment to the cost of fuel, which is currently selling at N145 per liter.

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“But the cost is worth it, for if you know what health bill is for an average Nigerian family, you will agree to pay higher for neater fuel than spend more seeking for cure of fuel-induced heath problems,” stated Dr. Eddy Smart of EDAMRK Hospital, Ikeja.

The United Nations’ body has not come out with any change in timetable for the programme, given the fact that many other countries are responding positively to the directive, said the news report.

Several groups, including UNEP, have been pushing West Africa for years to mandate higher quality fuel and ban fuels that are illegal in Europe and the United States due to what experts described as their side effects on respiratory health, particularly in densely populated urban areas, such as Lagos, Soweto and Mombasa.

It was learnt that some countries in Europe last year had more activists joining the call for total ban on export of fuels that have been known to have caused some health hazards in Africa and Asia.

 

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