Dangote Refinery Threatens to Sanction Marketers Over Leaking Trucks At Gantry
- Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised an alarm over the increasing number of leaking fuel tankers arriving at its loading gantry
- The refinery said it will impose fines and possible suspension on marketers whose trucks violate safety standards
- Recent FRSC and NEMA data show hundreds of deaths linked to tanker explosions and fuel scooping incidents across Nigeria
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, tech and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has issued a serious warning to petroleum marketers over the use of leaking fuel tankers to load Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at its loading gantry, PUNCH reported.
According to an internal circular, the refinery described the trend as a major safety risk and threatened tough sanctions against the owners of the trucks.
Source: Getty Images
The notice, which was reportedly issued by the Group Commercial Operations Department, stated that many of the trucks arrived with cracked valves, loose fittings and leaks, putting the multi-billion-dollar facility at risk of fire incidents.
The refinery said it had observed the high number of leaking trucks arriving at the gantry, and it was concerned about the great danger it poses to the entire refinery.
The circular added that any tanker found leaking at the gantry will attract fines and may also lead to the suspension of the marketer or owner of the tanker from loading operations for a specified period.
“Any truck found leaking at the gantry will not only be fined, but the affected marketer will be severely sanctioned, which may include denying him further operational activities within the refinery for a specified period,” the circular stated.
The refinery stated that the actions are necessary to “protect the facility from any danger” and urged marketers to deploy only roadworthy trucks for product lifting.
Lives lost in multiple tanker explosions
PUNCH reported that Nigeria’s fuel distribution sector has battled long-standing safety issues linked to an ageing tanker fleet, many of which lack proper maintenance. Regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, have repeatedly pushed for stronger compliance, but many trucks on the road still fail to comply with basic safety requirements.
Data from the Federal Road Safety Corps shows that at least 80 tanker explosions occurred between January 2020 and January 2025, resulting in 555 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Broader figures from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) indicate that more than 1,500 people have died in over 100 tanker accidents within the same period.
Some of the most tragic incidents occurred in recent months, including an October 2024 tanker explosion in Jigawa State that claimed more than 150 lives and a January 2025 accident near Dikko, Niger State, where 86 people died after attempting to scoop fuel.
The FRSC also reported that 411 Nigerians lost their lives in 2024 alone while trying to scoop fuel from fallen tankers.
Source: Getty Images
Tanker explosion killed 40 in Niger
Legit.ng reported that at least 40 persons died in a tanker explosion that occurred along the Essa axis on Agaie–Bida Road in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, in late October.
The figure was reportedly confirmed by the Federal Fire Service, which added that another 40 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Eyewitnesses and sources in the area said the petrol tanker fell as a result of the bad state of the Essan road. The Niger State governor, Mohammed Bago, described the incident as “worrisome, unfortunate, and pathetic" in his condolence message.
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