Members of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE) have called for collaboration among all stakeholders to address the menace of recurring fuel tanker explosions leading to loss of lives and property across the country.
They made the call at a two-day National Workshop to Address Surge in Petroleum Tanker Explosions organised by NISafetyE in collaboration with the Nigerian Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers.
The workshop titled, “The Problem of Petroleum Tanker Explosions in Nigeria – The Issues, The Challenges, and The Solutions” is being held at the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) national headquarters, Abuja.
The National Chairman of NISafetyE, Seun Faluyi was quoted saying, “These tanker explosions are not mere accidents; they are preventable disasters resulting from systemic failures,” “This workshop is a call to action to implement engineering solutions, enforce regulations, and prioritise public safety.”
According to NISafetyE and other stakeholders, the situation is a national emergency adding that, recent incidents underscore the urgency of the need to address the situation.
They listed the recent incidents as; “Majiya, Jigawa State (October 15, 2024): A fuel tanker overturned, leading to an explosion that claimed 209 lives and injured 124 others, marking one of the deadliest such incidents in Nigeria’s history.
“Suleja, Niger State (January 18, 2025): A gasoline tanker crash resulted in 98 fatalities and approximately 70 injuries, with victims including individuals attempting to collect spilled fuel.
“Agaie, Niger State (September 8, 2024): A collision between a fuel tanker and a truck led to an explosion that killed 52 people and 50 cattle.
“These and many more tragedies highlight systemic issues such as deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate regulatory enforcement, and insufficient emergency response mechanisms.”
In her remarks, 34th President of NSE, Margaret Oguntala, said the workshop was a proactive step taken to bring together key sector agencies amidst the alarming frequency of disasters caused by oil tanker accidents and explosions.
She said, “The incidents that we have witnessed in recent years, have left a devastating impact on our communities and my heart goes out to our fellow citizens who have lost loved ones in these tragic events of engineers.
“Performing the role of engineers in the society, our paramount duty is to ensure safety and promote the well-being of our fellow citizens. It is evident that the increasing occurrences of tanker explosions has necessitated urgent attention and action”.
Also speaking, the Deputy National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, Andrew Abanum, said, these tragedies occur, now and then.
He said, “They happen on our roads, busy markets, around moving vehicles and ends with fatalities. This has been happening. Therefore it is very important a every time we hear of explosions from tankers carrying potential products, the effects are far more reaching.
“They are real and painful effects of preventable tragedies. We emphasize the word preventable because technology, the systems, standards, they do exist if only we had applied them.
“Therefore, our goal is simple. We are here to change the narrative. We will identify and agree of what is to be done. And in doing that, the gaps that are existed before now will be closed and will ensure the lives of the citizens.
