In a major move to curb deadly fuel tanker accidents, Nigeria will ban super-sized fuel tankers from its roads starting March 1, 2025, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) announced Wednesday. The decision comes as authorities grapple with an alarming surge in tanker-related accidents, many resulting in deadly infernos.
“We must draw a line and say, this can no longer continue,” declared Ogbugo Ukoha, NMDPRA’s Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, during a press briefing in Abuja.
The new regulation, which prohibits trucks carrying more than 60,000 litres of fuel from loading at depots, emerged from a high-stakes meeting of key industry stakeholders. The gathering brought together an impressive array of agencies, including the DSS, Federal Fire Service, FRSC, NARTO, NUPENG, SON, DAPPMAN, and NMDPRA. What’s driving this urgent action? According to Ukoha, the numbers tell a frightening story.
“We noticed in 2023 what we thought was a significant increase in trucks and transit incidents. But in 2024, what we thought was an increase in 2023 was, sadly, much more,” he revealed.
Even more alarming, January 2025’s accident rates are already threatening to surpass 2024’s figures. The ban is just one of ten planned interventions aimed at making Nigeria’s roads safer. Ukoha highlighted the unprecedented cooperation among stakeholders, noting,
“For the first time, consensus was built amongst all stakeholders, and we are continuing to encourage that we will work together cohesively to deliver safe transportation of petroleum products across the country.”
