Truck prohibition will reduce fuel supply to the north – Narto

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport owners has expressed concern about the potential impact of the imminent prohibition of the federal government of large oil tankers that transport more than 60,000 liters of oil derived products.

In addition, the Association of Outlet owners of Nigeria de Petroleum Products has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene and mitigate the impact of the prohibition of large oil tankers on those affected.

The prohibition, which will enter into force on March 1, 2025, was announced last week due to recurring accidents and explosions due to overloaded trucks that led to the death of 493 people in three years.

The national president of Narto, Yusuf Othman, told one of our correspondents that the restriction would reduce the supply of oil derived products, especially in northern Nigeria, which depends largely on the products transported from the southern deposits.

“The prohibition, which comes into force as of March 1, 2025, will prevent trucks that transport more than 60,000 liters to load in deposits and travel on federal roads. By October 1, 2025, the restriction will be further reduced to 45,000 liters per truck, ”said Othman.

He pointed out that Narto is reviewing the situation and working closely with its members to evaluate possible financial losses, which could amount to more than N300BN in investments.

Othman also expressed concern about the livelihoods of approximately 2,000 drivers, 2,000 engines and their families that could be directly affected by the changes.

He pointed out that the association is also considering the option to reduce the capacity of the affected oil company through manufacturing.

“We are exploring options such as manufacturing smaller oil tankers to comply with the new regulations. We are also investigating how we can take advantage of the federal government policy on compressed natural gas and the development of associated infrastructure, ”said Othman.

“In a few days, we will have a clearer position on the matter, but for now, we have taken the directive of the Government in good faith.”

Othman, however, raised concerns about the state of the roads of the nation, which he thinks they play an important role in oil accidents.

“We have asked the government what measures are taking to improve the condition of our roads, since this is another factor that contributes to fuel accidents,” he said.

Regarding the potential impact of the prohibition of fuel distribution, Othman stressed that the volume of supply to long -range areas in northern Nigeria would probably 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 caused market dynamics to be unpredictable. It is difficult to forecast all possible results, but there will certainly be an effect on the volume and cost of fuel distribution, ”Othman concluded.

Similarly, an expert in the industry, Olatide Jeremiah, also described the prohibition proposed by the Government as a priority out of place, emphasizing that it would lead to an increase in the price of the gasoline pump in the north of Nigeria.

“If the prohibition of 60,000 -liter trucks is implemented, the northern part of the country could feel the effect. The reason is that 60 to 70 percent of oil products are supplied from Lagos, mostly Dangote fuel through trucks, ”he said.

Petroan asks Tinubu

The Association of Outlet owners of Nigeria de Petroleum Products asked President Tinubu to intervene in the matter.

In a statement on Sunday, Petroan president Billy Gillis-Harry said around 100,000 people in the oil sector will be affected by the prohibition.

In the statement, Petroan praised Tinubu for prioritizing Nigerian life after the prohibition of trucks that transport more than 60,000 liters of hydrocarbon products to reduce oil accidents and explosions.

“The Round Table of the interested parties that reached the consensus decision was defended by NMDPRA, gathering key actors in the industry, including the Nigerian Road Association, the standard organization of Nigeria, the Nigeria Energy Marketing Association and the State Services Directorate, Nigeria, the Nigeria.

“While the prohibition aims to reduce accidents, it can lead to significant employment losses and financial losses for truck owners. In particular, members of Narto, Dappman, PTD, Nupeng, Meman and Petroan collectively have thousands of trucks affected by the ban. These trucks support more than 100,000 employees, including conductive trucks, drivers, mechanics, transport staff, truck supervisors and many others who directly or indirectly trust these trucks for their subsistence.

“In the light of this, Petroan’s national president is asking President Tinubu to intervene and mitigate the impact of the prohibition of affected stakeholders. Dr. Harry urged the president to consider measures that will cushion the effects of the prohibition, particularly on small -scale companies and truck owners that will be seriously affected.

“Finally, Petroan’s national president has asked all interested parties to comply with the ban accordingly,” said the statement.