The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulation Authority (NMDPRA) on Wednesday engaged stakeholders on safety measures in the oil distribution system, to stem the rising fire outbreaks across the North Western zone of the country.
The North West Acting Coordinator of NMDPRA, Alhaji Shuaibu, said during a meeting with the stakeholders in Kaduna, that the meeting was to discuss ways to improve the safety operations of retail outlets in the North West.
Shuaibu noted the increase in outbreaks of fire downstream, especially with tanker drivers and filling stations, which was not good for the oil industry.
He also noted that areas of non-compliance to the safety measures and regulations were identified in the region, hence the need to unite, address them, and improve compliance.
He added that the meeting with the stakeholders was to make them understand that obeying the law and securing their investment was both compulsory and very important.
Commenting on sanctions for non-compliance with the NMDPRA regulatory provisions, he noted that they sanctioned many offenders and would continue to do such, to ensure sanity in the industry.
Shuaibu, however, said the essence of the meeting was not about sanctions, but to have an avenue for safe operations in the oil industry.
“There is no need for sanction when people are dying, what is paramount is safe operations, and we will enforce compliance to ensure accidents are prevented in the oil industry.
“We don’t want profiteering in the oil industry to be core in decision making; we want safety first so that once they are making a profit, they will ensure safety and no loss of life.
“It will tarnish their image and also ours when there are too many casualties in the industry, image is key for us to protect and we have a job by the Acts to ensure safe operations.
“We will continue to ensure safety compliance and whoever violates the regulations will face sanctions; however, our priority for the meeting is to ensure safe operations,” Shuaibu said.
Also, Aminu Salihu, NMDPRA’s Controller for Health, Safety, Environment, and Community (HSEC) Kano, said safety measures were vital, considering the number of accidents recorded in the country.
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He said that from 2018 to 2023, the NMDPRA recorded 412 fatalities in 244 incidents.
He said, “In 2021, we recorded 173 fatalities in 103 incidents, which is an average of one death every four days, while from 2022 till date, 48 fatalities have been recorded in 41 incidents.”
Delivering a presentation on safety in operations in oil and gas facilities in the downstream sector, Salihu noted that every truck and station must have adequate earthing
cables and hoses of various sizes for discharge and coupling.
He added that truck inspection must be carried out before loading and offloading while the authority should guide operators on the approved standards required for road tankers design, construction, and operations.
He, therefore, advised the stakeholders to strictly follow the laid down regulations to achieve zero incident or reduce it to the barest minimum.
One of the stakeholders, Alhaji Babangida Jafaru, the Kaduna Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), said some of the regulations when enacted, affected them financially and otherwise.
According to him, most of the accidents on the road were due to the deplorable state of the roads in the country and substandard vehicle spare parts for vehicles sold in the markets.
“Sometimes, the mechanics advise vehicle owners to buy Belgium Spare parts instead of new ones, which means the used ones are better than the new ones here in Nigeria,” he said.
Jafaru called on the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to expedite actions to ensure that genuine spare parts were imported into the country.
He stated their commitment to complying with the NMDPRA regulations while calling on their members to ensure safety at all times.
Other stakeholders in the meeting were the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Federal Fire Service, and FRSC, among others.
