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 move aims to reduce accidents involving heavy-duty petroleum trucks.
Speaking in Abuja, NMDPRA Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage, and Retailing Infrastructure, Ogbugo Ukoha, said the decision followed rising incidents of road crashes linked to large fuel tankers.
The ban was agreed upon after consultations 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), and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Others involved include the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), and the NMDPRA itself.
Under the new rule, tankers with an axle load exceeding 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon will be prohibited from loading at any petroleum products depot nationwide.
Ukoha also addressed concerns about fuel quality, dismissing recent claims as “bogus, misleading, and unscientific.” He assured the public that both imported and locally refined petroleum products undergo strict quality checks before distribution.
Additionally, he noted that daily Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply, which averaged 66 million litres before fuel subsidy removal in May 2023, has now dropped to around 50 million litres. Local refineries, he said, contribute less than 50% of the total supply.
The NMDPRA reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing petroleum industry standards and urged Nigerians to disregard false reports circulating on social media.
