Beginning October 1, petrol tankers will be restricted to transporting no more than 45,000 liters of fuel.
In an effort to curb the growing number of petroleum tanker accidents across Nigeria, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Western Zone and the Nigerian government have taken significant steps. From October 1, 2025, petroleum tankers will be limited to carrying 45,000 liters of the commodity [1][3][5].
This new load limit aims to prevent overloading, a key factor in tanker-related road accidents. The decision was announced by Chief Oyewole Akanni, the zone's chairman, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Aug 1 [6].
In addition to load limits, the government and stakeholders, including the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), oil marketers, and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), have implemented stronger coordination through initiatives like the One-Stop Shop (OSS) [2]. This brings regulatory and security agencies together under one roof to improve operational efficiency and promptly address any issues related to petroleum distribution and tanker operations.
Furthermore, infrastructure and road safety programs are being embraced that focus on a holistic "Safe System" approach, which builds multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes and minimize harm by addressing human error, vehicle oversight, and emergency response [4].
To address the issue of fuel spills in the event of an accident, the government has ordered that all tankers have safety covers installed [7]. With these covers, fuel won't spill even if a tanker falls, unless the tank is punctured. However, Chief Akanni has expressed concern about vandals puncturing downed trucks to steal gasoline [8].
Driver fatigue is identified as the primary cause of most nighttime incidents, according to the PTD [9]. To address this, IPMAN has instructed drivers not to travel at night and to park until 7:00 a.m. the following day. Despite these instructions, some drivers disregard them, according to Akanni.
The combined strategies of load limit enforcement, improved agency coordination, and adoption of the Safe System approach form the core of recent efforts to reduce tanker accidents in Nigeria. Akanni has emphasized the need for widespread education and enforced safety changes to address these issues [10].
Sources:
[1] NAN, (2025). IPMAN Western Zone to limit petroleum tankers to 45,000 liters. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/ipman-western-zone-to-limit-petroleum-tankers-to-45000-liters/
[2] NAN, (2025). One-Stop Shop to improve petroleum distribution operations in Nigeria. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/one-stop-shop-to-improve-petroleum-distribution-operations-in-nigeria/
[3] Vanguard, (2025). Nigeria: IPMAN Western Zone caps petroleum tanker loads at 45,000 litres. [online] Available at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/09/nigeria-ipman-western-zone-caps-petroleum-tanker-loads-at-45000-litres/
[4] Daily Trust, (2025). Nigeria adopts Safe System approach to road safety. [online] Available at: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nigeria-adopts-safe-system-approach-to-road-safety.html
[5] The Guardian, (2025). Nigeria: Government takes action to reduce petroleum tanker accidents. [online] Available at: https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria-government-takes-action-to-reduce-petroleum-tanker-accidents/
[6] NAN, (2025). IPMAN Western Zone to limit petroleum tankers to 45,000 liters. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/ipman-western-zone-to-limit-petroleum-tankers-to-45000-liters/
[7] NAN, (2025). Nigeria to install safety covers on petroleum tankers. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/nigeria-to-install-safety-covers-on-petroleum-tankers/
[8] NAN, (2025). IPMAN chairman concerned about fuel theft from downed trucks. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/ipman-chairman-concerned-about-fuel-theft-from-downed-trucks/
[9] PTD, (2025). Driver fatigue main cause of nighttime incidents. [online] Available at: https://ptd.org.ng/driver-fatigue-main-cause-of-nighttime-incidents/
[10] NAN, (2025). Akanni emphasizes need for safety changes to address tanker accidents. [online] Available at: https://www.nannews.ng/akanni-emphasizes-need-for-safety-changes-to-address-tanker-accidents/
The government, in partnership with industry stakeholders like the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), oil marketers, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), and others, have implemented stronger coordination through initiatives like the One-Stop Shop (OSS) to improve operational efficiency and address issues related to petroleum distribution and tanker operations in the [finance] sector. Furthermore, these efforts also extend to the [automotive] sector, with the installation of safety covers on petroleum tankers to prevent fuel spills in case of accidents.
