The Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) has enhanced collaboration among regulators, operators, and enforcement agencies to mitigate increasing number of petroleum tanker explosions on roads and ensure a lasting solution to incessant truck accidents.
Executive Secretary, Clement Isong, disclosed this to the media after a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos.
Isong said accidents are caused by deplorable road infrastructure, inexperienced drivers in oversized trucks, and lack of maintenance. He also faulted poor mental alertness and attitudes, adding that some trucks load up to 66,000 litres, exceeding safe limits.
He said the session brought together key stakeholders, including the Executive Secretary of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), the President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and MEMAN’s Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Quality (HSSEQ) committee, representing operators. Other are: the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the South-West Regional Coordinator of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), representing regulators.
Isong said the primary objective was to foster collaboration among regulators, operators, and enforcement agencies to mitigate the increasing number of truck accidents witnessed in 2024. He said stakeholders agreed to conduct regular sensitisation programmes for drivers.
The MEMAN boss said the industry was committed to continuing these collaborative efforts to ensure safer road transportation of petroleum products.
“Truck accidents and explosions must stop, and through these comprehensive measures, industry operators aim to significantly reduce the incidence of such catastrophic events,” he said.
Also, the Assistant Director/Head, Distribution Systems, Storage & Retailing Infrastructure, Southwest Zone, Ibrahim Dimowo, emphasised the need for all trucks to be registered and assigned specific haulage permits. He said there was a need to state the tank size for petroleum products and ensure compliance.
On his part, Lagos State Sector Commander of FRSC, Patrick Davou, called for strict enforcement of pre and post-Safe-to-Load (STL) integrity inspections on trucks, adding that there was a need to verify drivers’ qualifications during STL inspections.
