ECOWAS countries have been urged to adopt a measure that ensures imported diesel fuel meets the required standard for the protection of the environment, human health and sustainable economy.
Environment ministers from the ECOWAS countries and other stakeholders made this known in a communiqué released after a high level ministerial meeting held in Abuja recently.
They agreed that diesel fuel must meet the 50ppm max in line with ARA-AFRI4 specification by July 1st, 2017.
The meeting was aimed at ministers in the ECOWAS region to consider the negative consequences of the use of high sulphur fuels and adopt realistic approach to adopting the use of clean fuels by setting achievable timeline for realizing low sulphur fuels by year 2020.
They recommended an effective monitoring of fuel marketers to prevent blending and production of low standard fuel adding that refineries in the sub region should be given a strict timeline to upgrade facilities to produce fuel that are within the range of 50ppm standard.
They however suggested that refineries in the region should be granted waivers to implement upgrade to enable them meet 50ppm diesel by 2020 while they also implored the minister in the sub region to consider and implement the Abidjan May, 2015 and Abuja June, 2016 recommendations.
The high level ministerial meeting on promoting low sulphur fuels in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries was organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), ECOWAS Commission and Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV).
Other key stakeholders include UNEP, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), African Refiners Association (ARA), ECOWAS Commission, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).
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