The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced a ban on 60,000-litre fuel tankers from operating on Nigerian roads, effective March 1, 2025.
The measure aims to curb truck-in-transit accidents, which have led to deadly infernos and loss of lives.
Also, from the fourth quarter of 2025, no truck with a capacity exceeding 45,000 litres will be permitted to load petroleum products.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Ogbugo Ukoha, NMDPRA’s Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, said the decision follows increasing road accidents involving heavy-duty fuel tankers.
“The first stakeholders’ technical committee met today to establish timelines for 10 key resolutions aimed at reducing the rising number of truck-related incidents and fatalities,” Ukoha stated.
The decision was reached after deliberations with key stakeholders, including the Department of State Services (DSS), Federal Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), and NMDPRA.
Ukoha emphasised the importance of collaboration, saying, “For the first time, a consensus was built among all stakeholders, and we are committed to ensuring the safe transportation of petroleum products across the country.”
Highlighting the urgency of the ban, he noted that truck-related accidents had significantly increased in 2023, with 2024 showing an even higher fatality rate. “January’s incidents alone threaten to surpass the numbers recorded in 2024. We must draw a line and say this can no longer continue,” he said.
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