Key points:
- Nigeria bans large fuel trucks after deadly explosions
- New rule takes effect March 1, 2025, to reduce accidents
- Fuel prices soared after subsidy removal, worsening hardship
THE Nigerian government has announced a ban on fuel trucks carrying 60,000 litres or more from using the country’s roads, following a series of deadly explosions that have killed hundreds in recent months.
The new regulation, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, was confirmed by Ogbugo Ukoha of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Government moves to prevent fuel truck disasters
According to Ukoha, the ban is aimed at reducing tanker-related accidents, which have become alarmingly frequent. ‘This measure will mitigate truck-in-transit incidents and drive down the significant increase in fatalities,’ he stated.
Economic hardship drives fuel scooping risks
Nigeria has witnessed several tragic explosions, often occurring when residents attempt to scoop spilled fuel from accident sites.
- October 2024: an explosion in Jigawa State killed at least 147 people.
- Federal Capital Territory: nearly 100 people died in a blast on the road linking Abuja and Kaduna.
- A week later: 18 more lives were lost after another fuel truck crash caused a fire.
Despite known dangers, many Nigerians take the risk of collecting leaked fuel due to severe economic hardship.
‘Everybody knows the risk, but poverty makes it hard to resist,’ said Sanusi Lawan, a student who witnessed one of the incidents.
Fuel price hike worsens economic crisis
The fuel crisis escalated after President Bola Tinubu removed a long-standing fuel subsidy, causing prices to quadruple.
While the government defends the policy as necessary for long-term stability, the short-term impact has been devastating, driving inflation and worsening Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in decades.
Will the fuel truck ban reduce accidents?
The government hopes the fuel truck ban will curb deadly explosions and protect lives, but critics argue that economic hardship remains a key driver of fuel scooping dangers.
As the policy takes effect, enforcement and alternative fuel transportation solutions will be crucial in preventing further tragedies.
