Petrol tanker accidents: Lagos govt moves to halt menace

The Lagos State government is currently rallying all stakeholders in a move to rid the state’s roads of petroleum tanker accidents and explosions.

Bemoaning the significant increase in tanker’s accidents and explosions in the state, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources in Lagos State, Mr Olalere Odubote, said the situation has made it imperative to develop a roadmap for effective monitoring and efficient handling and transportation of petroleum products in Lagos State, with stringent measure to enforce compliance, in order to curb the menace in the sector and prevent incidents.

The commissioner stated this during a stakeholders’ forum organised by his ministry for oil and gas transportation sector, titled “Sanitising Lagos State Roads of Petroleum Tankers Explosions and Accidents.”

Stakeholders at the one-day forum included operators in the oil and gas sector , the police, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Services (VIO), Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA); Lagos state Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA); Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and others.

The commissioner stated that no fewer than 47 cases of petroleum tanker explosions/accidents have been recorded in Lagos State between 2018 and till date, adding that there were 24 incidents in 2020 and one in 2021.

According to him, a further breakdown of cases of petroleum related accidents within the period showed that petrol/diesel/LPG tankers were responsible for 23 incidents; petrol filling stations- three; gas explosions (LPG) 10; petroleum pipelines explosion- nine; and industrial gas (Oxyacetylene)- two, amounting to 47 incidents in three years

Within the period, he stated that 98 lives were lost to the incidents; 388 people injured; while 705 structures and 391 vehicles respectively were affected.

Odubote told the audience that the ministry’s database also showed that the state experienced an average of one tanker explosion per month in 2020 resulting in loss of lives and damage to infrastructure, with a lot of inconvenience to Lagosians.

According to him, it has been observed that most of the truck traffic problems were as a result of operators coming from outside the state to load products in the depots.

He  told  the  audience  that the ministry is currently developing a legal framework in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, which is based on existing Physical Planning, Environmental and Safety Laws, adding that recently, at a Joint Working Committee (comprising Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria Liquified Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NLPGAM) and other relevant stakeholders was  also formed.

The committee, he said, has been working to develop strategies towards addressing the recurring menace.

Suggesting ways out, National Executive Director, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Mr Paul Ndibe, stated that issues with the subject of oil and gas transportation in Nigeria were more with distribution, advising  the  government to extend the petroleum  pipeline networks from Ejigbo to locations such as Ifo and Sagamu in Ogun State to reduce traffic and accidents within Lagos metropolis.

Besides, he suggested that the government should put in place legislation for firms of certain categories to source their power via gas turbines, adding that foundry companies within Lagos should run gas fired copulas; and engine compression test centres should be established at different locations.

Ndibe urged the need for standardisation of the carrying capacity of the petroleum product barrels.

He said “It is a common sight to see 33,000litres, 45,000litres, 54,000litres, 60,000lites and more of the capacity of barrels of petroleum products being hauled by trucks. The question is why not these barrels standardise and mitigate the risk of having a poor hauling truck to pull a heavier barrel.

“The snag here, despite its economic advantages, is in the discipline of effectively matching trucks of high capacity with these high capacity barrels. Where they are unevenly matched, we will encounter poor hauling challenges.”

The permanent secretary in the ministry, Ms Sholabomi Shasore, said the essence of the gathering was to find solution to the incessant tanker explosion on Lagos State’s roads  and bring to minimum if not eliminate the ugly occurrences as well as the consequences of such occurrences.

Director, Transport Operations, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Mr A.G Toriola said the ministry apart from keying into various global conventions and laws, has adopted some approaches namely: legislation, enforcement, education, technology, international regulatory support for its implementation.