The federal government announced on Wednesday that it is considering banning 60,000-litre petroleum trucks due to the rising number of tanker accidents, which have claimed 493 lives in less than three years.
During a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, the government proposed limiting tankers’ carrying capacity to a maximum of 45,000 litres to reduce the frequency of explosions nationwide.
Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, stated that in just this year, five accidents have occurred, resulting in 121 fatalities and 79 injuries.
He noted that in 2024, 11 accidents resulted in 341 deaths and 124 injuries, while in 2023, two accidents led to 24 deaths and five injuries.
Ahmed condemned the rising fatalities as unacceptable, stressing the urgent need for stricter safety measures in petroleum transportation.
“We are here today to discuss the recent trend in road tanker accidents and the resultant fatalities and other consequences. The public is watching helplessly and looking forward to intervention to protect lives and properties. In the year 2022, four road tanker accidents were recorded that led to seven fatalities and three injuries.
“The number of incidents decreased in the year 2023 to two, resulting in 24 fatalities and five injuries. By the year 2024, the number of accidents increased to 11 incidents leading to 341 fatalities and 124 injuries.
“This year to date, we have already recorded five road tanker accidents leading to 121 fatalities and 79 injuries. These incidents are unnecessary and unacceptable. They must be prevented and brought down to zero,” Ahmed stated.
He highlighted measures to prevent such accidents, including the Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operators (MISTDO), which involves training and retraining drivers, motor boys, and all personnel in downstream operations.
Ahmed outlined several measures already in place, including installing anti-spill safety valves on petroleum tankers, implementing safe-to-load initiatives, color coding and branding tank trucks, and conducting spot checks on fatigued or impaired drivers by road safety officials.
He described the incidents as unnecessary and emphasized the need for stricter measures. He noted that one such measure is determining an appropriate truck carrying capacity—comparing 60,000 litres to 45,000 litres—due to the negative impact on roads.
Ahmed noted that the industry collectively established these safety requirements based on lessons from past accidents and safety studies to ensure the safe and secure distribution of energy.
He emphasized that it is unacceptable for any operator to violate established safety protocols, arguing that the recurrence of accidents indicates either non-compliance or flaws in the existing measures.
