The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced measures to reassess safety regulations following the catastrophic fuel tanker explosion in Niger State, which killed 86 people and injured 55 more.
Chief Executive of the NMDPRA Authority, Farouk Ahmed, expressed condolences to the affected families and the Niger State government while speaking at the accident site on Sunday.
Represented by the Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Community, Mustapha Lamorde, Ahmed urged Nigerians to avoid rushing to accident scenes to prevent further casualties.
Ahmed expressed concern over the tragedy, stating, “I think the most important thing is awareness. People should be aware of the danger that this poses, especially when there’s an accident like that. We need to create public awareness for people to avoid coming close to the vicinity when such accidents happen.”
He acknowledged the existence of safety guidelines but emphasised the need to re-evaluate them. “We have standard operating procedures and guidelines, as well as required training within the sector to encourage safety awareness. We are going to review these and collaborate with key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), NUPENG, IPMAN, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, and the Federal Road Safety Corps, to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Ahmed added.
Ahmed also stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation into the incident to identify preventive measures.
“From what we learnt, there was an accident, a spill, and people were scooping fuel, leading to the explosion and loss of many lives,” he noted.
NARTO National President Yusuf Othman, represented by Executive Secretary Aloga Ogbogo, emphasised the need for public knowledge in preventing future disasters.
“Despite government efforts, many people are not taking safety sensitisation seriously,” Othman informed me. He suggested using traditional institutions, such as village chiefs and religious leaders, to broadcast safety information in areas with considerable petroleum activity.
“In such regions, I also recommend locating fire stations to respond rapidly to crises. “If there had been one here, this incident could have been avoided,” Othman explained.
NARTO’s Deputy National Chairman, Malut Abubakar, cited bad road conditions as a contributing reason and urged the government to prioritise road upkeep.
“We had earlier written to the government about the bad state of roads. If the roads were better, this incident might have been avoided,” he emphasised.
Abubakar cited previous government interventions in Kaduna as an example, where repairs reduced similar accidents. He called for proactive measures to minimise future occurrences, adding, “This is not the time to apportion blame; it’s time to act.”
The tanker explosion, which resulted from a spill during an accident, underscores the urgent need for heightened safety measures, improved infrastructure, and increased public awareness to prevent such devastating incidents.