IMPLICATION OF THE USE OF FAKE AND ADULTERATED LUBRICANTS FOR CONSUMERS IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the implication of adulterated engine oil for consumers in north-eastern Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design with automobile users in northeast Nigeria as its target population. A simple random sampling technique was employed to sample four hundred fifty (150) respondents from three local government areas across Adamawa, Taraba, and Bauchi States. A self-designed questionnaire modeled after the Likert scale was used for data collection and data were presented in tables and analysed using statistical tools of measures of central tendency and dispersion. The result of the study reveals a concerning prevalence of various methods of adulterating engine oil in the North-East Nigerian market. Among the identified practices, the abrupt termination of refining processes and the mixing of genuine oil with cheap solvents emerge as prominent means of producing fake and adulterated lubricants. Equally, it was also found out that because adulterated engine oil is smuggled into the market unchecked, the implication is that the consumers may unknowingly choose fake or adulterated products due to misinformation or a lack of awareness. Impliedly, the use of adulterated engine oil can lead to reduced durability of the engine, suboptimal performance of machinery, increased maintenance costs, and potential damage, affecting the overall economic well-being of consumers. The study recommended that government agencies upon which rest oversight roles of ensuring good quality engine oil should enhance effort to check this menace. Therefore, there is a need for intensified government oversight to ensure quality engine oil and widespread consumer education campaigns to identify and avoid adulterated products in North–Eastern Nigeria.