As the death toll resulting from tanker explosions continues to mount, Nigeria’s President has taken proactive action to address the persisting issues that continue to claim the lives of the people. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the underlying causes of these recurring tragedies and recommend effective solutions to prevent future occurrences. This government response comes after yet another horrific tanker explosion occurred in Dikko, near Suleja, Niger State, on January 18, 2025, claiming over 98 lives.
The tragedy happened when a tanker capsized and its contents leaked out. Tragically, an explosion erupted as people gathered to scoop the fuel, leaving devastation and grief awake. Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, announced the President’s directive when he led a high-level Federal Government delegation that included Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and several agency heads to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. He noted that the government would no longer put up with the circumstances that cause such repeated catastrophes.
Government action to uncover causes and find solutions.
Among other key stakeholders, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Standard Organization of Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs make up the committee. This multidisciplinary team has been entrusted with determining the systemic and immediate causes, and developing workable solutions to prevent such incidents.
Additionally, the Minister affirmed that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) will step up awareness campaigns to inform the public about the risks associated with fuel scooping during tanker accidents. He condemned the practice, describing it as reckless and intolerable, while expressing concern over the sheer scale of human loss. In just five months, tanker explosions have killed almost 265 people, underscoring the critical need for preventive action. The Suleja explosion is just the most recent in a string of horrific tanker accidents that have ravaged Nigerian communities.
A deadly pattern of tanker explosions over the years.
These disasters, dating back years, have claimed hundreds of lives over the years, with similar scenarios playing out repeatedly. On January 6th, 2025, 4 people were killed in a tanker explosion in Delta State. Prior to that, in October 2024, a huge explosion in Jigawa State claimed the lives of about 144 people when locals tried to scoop fuel from a tanker that had crashed. Similar conditions led to the deaths of 48 individuals at Agaie, Niger State, in September 2024. Cases from 2023, 2022, and the 2020 tanker explosion in Lokoja that claimed 23 lives further highlight the scale of the devastation.
While there are other contributing aspects, systemic failures are a key source of these recurrent disasters. Fuel tankers, some of which are decades old, are prone to accidents due to poor maintenance. Due to lax enforcement of road safety standards, tankers are able to operate in hazardous conditions, endangering lives on roadways across the country. One of the leading causes of such deaths, remains the risky practice of fuel scooping from accident scenes. This practice, which is frequently motivated by financial hardship, involves people putting their lives in danger to retrieve fuel that has spilled.
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President Tinubu’s directive to look into and address the matter is a crucial step in ending this cycle of sorrow, as Nigeria mourns the lives lost in Suleja and countless other tragedies. The committee’s capacity to tackle both short-term and long-term issues will determine its level of success. Area of priorities include enforcing stronger fuel transportation laws, making sure tankers are maintained properly, and holding operators responsible. The planned awareness initiatives by the National Orientation Agency will also be crucial in influencing public behavior.