The Federal Government’s ban on 60,000-litre fuel tankers will take effect on 1 March, marking a significant step towards improving road safety and curbing the frequent accidents involving these large vehicles.
The decision, announced by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), follows a series of tragic incidents, including a devastating explosion at Dikko junction in Gurara LG of Niger state in January that claimed numerous lives.
This ban aims to mitigate the risks associated with transporting large fuel volumes and protect motorists and communities along transit routes.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, NMDPRA executive director of distribution systems, storage, and retailing infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha said, ‘The ban, which would take effect from 1 March, would mitigate truck-in-transit incidents’.
He said the decision was made in response to the increasing number of road accidents involving heavy-duty petroleum tankers.
Ukoha further explained that the first technical stakeholders’ committee met on Wednesday and set timelines for implementing 10 resolutions to reduce truck-related incidents and fatalities.
The executive director said key agencies, including the Department of State Services, Federal Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, the National Association of Road Transport Owners, and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, participated in the deliberations.
Additionally, he said the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority also took part.
Ukoha said stakeholders agreed that from 1 March 2025, no truck exceeding an axle load of 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon would be allowed to load at any depot.
‘The important thing about this is that, for the first time, consensus was built amongst all stakeholders, and we’re continuing to encourage that we will work together cohesively to deliver a safe transportation of petroleum products across the country’, he added.
