The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has expressed concern over the potential impact of the Federal Government’s impending ban on large tankers carrying over 60,000 liters of petroleum products.
The prohibition, which will go into effect on March 1, 2025, was announced last week in response to the frequent accidents and explosions caused by overloaded trucks, which have killed 493 people in the last three years.
NARTO’s National President, Yusuf Othman, told one of our correspondents that the limitation will reduce the supply of petroleum products, especially in Northern Nigeria, which relies significantly on supplies transported from Southern depots.
“The ban, which takes effect from March 1, 2025, will prevent trucks carrying more than 60,000 liters from loading at depots and travelling on federal roads. By October 1, 2025, the restriction will be further reduced to 45,000 liters per truck,” the NARTO president explained.
He stated that NARTO is analyzing the situation and working closely with its members to estimate the possible financial losses, which might exceed N300 billion in investments.
Othman also raised concern about the livelihoods of about 2,000 drivers, 2,000 motorboys, and their families, who may be directly impacted by the changes.
He mentioned that the association is also considering the option of reducing the capacity of the affected tanker through fabrication.
“We are exploring options such as fabricating smaller tankers to comply with the new regulations. We are also looking into how we can tap into the federal government’s policy on compressed natural gas and associated infrastructure development,” Othman said.
“In a few days, we will have a clearer position on the matter, but for now, we have taken the government’s directive in good faith.”
However, Othman expressed alarm about the status of the country’s roadways, which he feels play a big influence in tanker accidents.
“We have asked the government what measures they are taking to improve the condition of our roads, as this is another factor contributing to fuel tanker accidents,” he said.
Regarding the probable impact of the restriction on fuel distribution, Othman stated that the volume of delivery to remote locations in northern Nigeria will most certainly fall due to truck capacity constraints.
The NARTO president warned that this could result in price swings caused by the fundamental principle of supply and demand.
“The deregulation of the sector has already made market dynamics unpredictable. It’s difficult to forecast all the possible outcomes, but there will undoubtedly be an effect on the volume and cost of fuel distribution,” Othman concluded.
