The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has imposed a sweeping ban on 60,000-litre petroleum tankers from operating on Nigerian roads, effective March 1, as a bold measure to curb truck-in-transit incidents. Announced by NMDPRA Chief Executive Ahmed Farouk in Abuja following a high-level Stakeholders Technical Committee Meeting, the directive is part of an intensified drive to enhance road safety. Farouk further revealed that by the fourth quarter of 2025, no truck with a 45,000-litre capacity will be permitted to load petroleum products.
This landmark decision comes after extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of State Services, Federal Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, and the National Association of Road Transport Owners, as well as industry bodies like NUPENG, SON, and DAPPMAN. During the meeting, officials hammered out timelines for roughly ten critical resolutions aimed at reversing the surge in tanker-related accidents and fatalities. As a result, from March 1, any truck exceeding an axle load of 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon will be barred from loading at any depot, a consensus hailed as a significant step towards ensuring the safe transportation of petroleum products nationwide.
In addition to the operational overhaul, Farouk dismissed recent social media allegations questioning the quality of fuel circulating in Nigeria, labeling these claims as bogus, misleading, and unscientific. He assured Nigerians that all petroleum products, whether imported or locally refined, undergo rigorous testing in accredited laboratories to meet stringent regulatory standards before reaching the market. Farouk emphasized that these tests cover key parameters—including sulphur content, density, and oxygenate levels—to ensure that fuel is safe and compliant, noting that hydrocarbons are naturally impure and subject to specified acceptable ranges.
Farouk also addressed concerns over the nation’s petroleum supply, noting a significant drop in daily Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply from an average of 66 million litres before subsidy withdrawal to approximately 50 million litres now. With local refineries contributing less than half of the total supply, the shortfall is being bridged through imports by other Oil Marketing Companies. “If we do nothing to address this deficit, scarcity will inevitably follow,” he warned, underscoring the regulator’s commitment to maintaining a stable supply of petroleum products across the country.
