The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners has expressed concern over the potential impact of the Federal Government’s impending ban on large tankers carrying over 60,000 litres of petroleum products.

Also, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and mitigate the impact of the ban on large tankers on those affected.

The ban, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, was announced last week owing to the recurring accidents and explosions due to overloaded trucks which led to the death of 493 persons in three years.

NARTO’s National President, Yusuf Othman, told one of our correspondents that the restriction would reduce the supply of petroleum products, especially in Northern Nigeria, which relies heavily on products transported from Southern depots.

“The ban, which takes effect from March 1, 2025, will prevent trucks carrying more than 60,000 litres from loading at depots and travelling on federal roads. By October 1, 2025, the restriction will be further reduced to 45,000 litres per truck,” Othman explained.

He noted that NARTO is reviewing the situation and working closely with its members to assess the potential financial losses, which could amount to over N300bn in investments.

Othman also expressed concern over the livelihoods of approximately 2,000 drivers, 2,000 motor-boys, and their families who could be directly affected by the changes.

He noted 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.”

Othman, however, raised concerns about the state of the nation’s roads, which he believes play a significant role 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 potential impact of the ban on fuel distribution, Othman highlighted that the volume of supply to far-reaching areas in northern Nigeria would likely decrease due to the reduced capacity of trucks.

He warned that this could lead to price fluctuations, driven by the basic 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.

Similarly, an Industry expert, Olatide Jeremiah, also described the government’s proposed ban as a misplaced priority, emphasising that it would lead to a surge in the pump price of petrol in Northern Nigeria.

“If the ban on 60,000 litres trucks is implemented, the northern part of the country might feel the effect. The reason is that 60 to 70 per cent of petroleum products are supplied from Lagos, mostly Dangote fuel through trucks,” he stated.

PETROAN begs Tinubu

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria called on President Tinubu to intervene in the matter.

In a statement on Sunday, the PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said that about 100,000 persons in the petroleum sector will be affected by the ban.

In the statement, PETROAN commended Tinubu for prioritising Nigerian lives following the ban on trucks carrying over 60,000 litres of hydrocarbon products to reduce tanker accidents and explosions.

“The stakeholders’ roundtable that reached the consensus decision was championed by NMDPRA, bringing together key players in the industry, including the Nigerian Association of Road, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, and Directorate of State Services, the Nigeria police, Nigeria security services, the fire service, among others.

“While the ban aims to reduce accidents, it may lead to significant job losses and financial losses for truck owners. Notably, members of NARTO, DAPPMAN, PTD, NUPENG, MEMAN, and PETROAN collectively own thousands of trucks affected by the ban. These trucks support over 100,000 employees, including truck drivers, conductors, mechanics, haulage personnel, truck supervisors, and many others who rely directly or indirectly on these trucks for their livelihood.

“In light of this, the National President of PETROAN is calling on President Tinubu to intervene and mitigate the impact of the ban on affected stakeholders. Dr Harry urges the President to consider measures that will cushion the effects of the ban, particularly on small-scale businesses and truck owners who will be severely affected.

“Finally, the National President of PETROAN has called on all stakeholders to comply with the ban accordingly,” the statement stated.