Incessant Crashes, Loss of 3500 Lives: FG to Ban 60,000-litre Petrol Tankers

Nigeria may face tanker shortage as the Federal government, on Wednesday, hinted of plans to ban 60,000- and 45,000-litre capacity trucks.

While most tankers hauling petroleum products across the country are around 45,000 litres, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said such capacity would be outlawed.

Coming amidst rising tanker accidents that have been causing deaths and the destruction of properties, NMDPRA issued an immediate ban on petroleum products tankers with a 60,000-litre capacity.In the absence of pipelines, Nigeria relies on tankers to haul petroleum products across the country, a development that has remained a menace to road infrastructure and the lives of citizens.NMDPRA’s Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Ogbugo Ukoha, told journalists in Abuja that the action on the 60,000-litre capacity would take effect from March 1, 2025, while the 45,000-litre capacity would be allowed to load products until the fourth quarter of 2025.

Reports said between 2010 and 2025, over 2,500 truck accidents claimed more than 3,500 lives in Nigeria, with the deadliest incident occurring in Jigawa in 2024, where an overturned fuel tanker exploded, killing dozens and leaving a scarred mass grave.

While stakeholders had agreed in 2020 to cap truck loads at 45,000 litres, NMDPRA said tankers exceeding 60,000 litres have continued to ply the roads, worsening the accident crisis.

The authority said there would be a phased approach, beginning with the 60,000-litre ban and gradually scaling down to 45,000 litres by the fourth quarter of 2025.

“We cannot fold our hands and wait for pipelines or railways to become viable alternatives,” the official stressed.

“Every life lost is one too many. This is the work we must do, and we will not back down,” Ukoha said.