The Nigerian Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), is considering a ban on 60,000-litre capacity petroleum trucks on federal highways due to rising fatalities from tanker accidents.
The proposal aims to limit tanker capacities to 45,000 litres as part of efforts to reduce road accident fatalities to zero. This was disclosed by NMDPRA’s Chief Executive Officer, Farouk Ahmed, at a stakeholder engagement in Abuja, where he highlighted that 493 people have died in tanker-related accidents since 2022.
Ahmed noted a sharp increase in fatalities, with 7 deaths in 2022, 24 in 2023, 341 in 2024, and 121 deaths already recorded in 2025. He described the situation as unacceptable and called for urgent safety measures in petroleum transportation.
The proposed measures include safety training for downstream operators, mandatory installation of anti-spill safety valves, route management, and enhanced public awareness to prevent incidents.
However, the National Association of Road Transport Owners, led by its President, Yusuf Othman, opposed the potential ban, citing a potential loss of over N300 billion in investments, as about 2,000 trucks of 60,000-litre capacity are currently in operation. Othman urged caution in implementing the measures and called for improved highway conditions to reduce accidents.
