The Western Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has announced that, effective October 1, petroleum tankers will no longer be allowed to load more than 45,000 litres of fuel part of a sweeping safety reform aimed at reducing tanker-related accidents across Nigeria.
The decision was revealed by the Chairman of the zone, Chief Oyewole Akanni, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Ibadan.
According to Akanni, the resolution was the outcome of a high-level stakeholders’ meeting involving IPMAN, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and major oil marketers.
“Before now, some tankers carried up to 90,000 or 60,000 litres, which was dangerous,” Akanni said.
“Those big tankers damage our roads, as the trucks are made to carry far more than they were designed for. And when overloaded, they become unstable and fall, causing accidents.”
The new loading restriction represents a major shift in industry practice, particularly in the face of a rising toll of fuel-related highway tragedies. As tankers often exceeded capacity—sometimes carrying loads twice their structural limits—the results were frequently deadly.
Akanni further disclosed that the federal government has mandated installation of safety covers on all fuel tankers. These covers are designed to prevent fuel spillage in the event of a crash.
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“With these covers, even if a tanker falls, fuel won’t spill, except if the tank is punctured,” he explained.
However, the challenge of fuel scooping by vandals who deliberately puncture fallen tankers to steal fuel remains a persistent and dangerous phenomenon.
In addition to load restrictions and spill-prevention measures, Akanni said the PTD has traced the majority of accidents to night-time driving, often exacerbated by fatigue.
“We have, therefore, instructed drivers not to drive at night. Once it is 7.00 p.m., they must park and continue their journey by 7.00 a.m. the next day, but some still disobey this directive,” he lamented.
Akanni pledged that IPMAN would continue working with transport unions, regulators, and marketers to enforce reforms and minimise the frequency of tanker-related fatalities.
The decision to cap loading volumes follows a troubling nationwide trend of tanker disasters marked by systemic failures from poor enforcement and weak infrastructure to widespread disregard for safety procedures.
“These are marked by systemic failures, including overloading, poor infrastructure, inadequate enforcement, alongside dangerous public practices like fuel scooping,” Akanni said.
He added that the recent surge in accidents has already triggered federal intervention, and emphasised the need for mass education, stricter regulatory compliance, and robust enforcement frameworks to prevent further tragedies.
With the October 1 deadline approaching, the industry now faces a decisive test of its commitment to reform, safety, and accountability on Nigerian roads.