By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said that 412 fatalities occurred in 244 incidents involving tankers and fuel stations across Nigeria in the last five years.
The Authority said this in a report on safety incidents from 2018 to 2023, which was released on Wednesday in Abuja during a safety workshop for petroleum tanker drivers, road transport owners and petroleum marketers in the North Central region.
According to the report, there have already been eight fatalities recorded in 2023, with an average of one incident occuring every five days.
The report states that in 2021, 173 deaths were recorded from 103 incidents, while 48 deaths occurred in 41 incidents in 2022.
NMDPRA blamed the issue on leaking trucks, discharging and dispensing products at the same time, absence of firefighting equipment, as well as oil spills and improper tools, among other causes.
The Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community at NMDPRA, Mustapha Lamorde, warned operators against the constant occurrence of these accidents.
Lamorde, who was represented by the North Central Regional Coordinator of NMDPRA, Mrs. Maijiddah Abdulkadir, said that NMDPRA plans to recommence Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) technical audits, and that the outcome will be used with other directorates in the issuance of various licenses.
He noted that the Authority was keen on implementing the compliance actions and that it will no longer be business as usual, as henceforth, safety will always come first.
The Executive Director stated that NMDPRA would ensure that the aspirations of the Federal Government by passing the Petroleum industrial Act (PIA) will be achieved.