An official at state oil company NNPC said in a presentation to the African Refiners Association (ARA) that Nigeria will begin cutting the sulphur levels allowed in imported fuels in July, a change long sought by health and environmental campaigners, a year after an initial deadline, Reuters reports.

West African nations had promised higher quality by July 2017 as part of a United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) campaign, but only Ghana met the deadline. Nigeria imports roughly 900,000 tonnes of petrol every month, accounting for 60 percent of West African imports of the fuel, meaning its choices on fuel quality are likely to impact the entire region.

Nigeria will lower the top level of sulphur in diesel to 50 parts per million (ppm), from 3,000 ppm, by July 1, Anibor O. Kragha, NNPC’s chief operating officer of refineries and petrochemicals said. Petrol sulphur level cuts, a cost that will be borne largely by the government due to capped prices for the fuel, will start in October, moving to 300 ppm from 1,000 ppm. Nigeria is targeting a cut to 150 ppm by October 1, 2019, Kragha said.

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