Lokoja—The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has called for precautionary measures to prevent tanker accidents and fire disasters in the country.

The agency revealed that tanker explosions alone have accounted for over 1,500 deaths, while many other fatalities have been linked to various fire disasters across Nigeria.

NEMA Deputy Director, Zakari Abubakar, speaking in Lokoja at a One-Day Public Awareness Programme on Tanker Explosions and Fire Disasters organised by the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), specifically warned against the scooping of fuel from fallen tankers, noting that the act has caused more harm than good.

“Today’s gathering stems from NEMA’s determination, in collaboration with critical stakeholders, to strengthen the disaster management framework to enhance a culture of preparedness and community resilience to disasters across the country.

“This sensitisation programme is one of the numerous efforts by the National Emergency Management Agency to address Nigeria’s vulnerability to fuel tanker-related accidents through early action, risk awareness, and coordinated response planning at the federal, state, local government, and community levels.”

He added: “Fuel tanker explosions and accidents have taken a serious toll in Nigeria, often caused by a combination of factors such as poor road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, and driver recklessness.
“Statistics reveal that from January 2009 to October 2024, over 100 tanker accidents resulted in more than 1,500 deaths.”

“More recently, in Niger State, a tanker accident led to the death of more than 80 persons, with dozens severely injured.

“In Agbor, Delta State, five persons were killed in January 2025 when a tanker exploded after losing control. In Jigawa State, a tanker explosion in October 2024 killed over 150 people.”

Abubakar stressed the need for urgent action:

“Considering the multifactorial causes of tanker accidents—including incompetent drivers, bad roads, on-street parking, overloading, brake failure, scooping fuel from fallen tankers, and fuel stations located in residential areas—urgent steps must be taken to avert or reduce the impact of future incidents.

“This programme will address the common causes of tanker accidents and emphasize effective prevention, preparedness, and response strategies.

“I must reiterate that the culture of scooping fuel from fallen tankers should be strongly condemned.”
The Executive Secretary of KOSEMA, Mouktar Atimah, stated that Kogi State would continue to remain responsive to disaster-related issues.

He said that the state had put machinery in place to ensure continuous sensitization on fire disasters and tanker explosions and had mapped out areas prone to such incidents.

“We have laid the foundation for awareness creation across local government and community levels.
“This marks the beginning of a robust media engagement strategy and public sensitization campaign to reengineer the existing disaster management system.”

The KOSEMA boss urged participants to actively engage in the technical session to gain valuable insights into achieving seamless inter-agency service delivery in disaster management