TANKERS AND PIPELINES: NAVIGATING THE PATHWAY TO CREATING SAFE
AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FOR FUEL
- Stephen Lazi Akhere PhD –
The average Nigerian perceives fuel tankers as a menace as it contributes to traffic
congestion on the already busy roa ds.
Over the years, Nigeria has continued to have a fragile fuel transporting system within its own
states and cities. As a country blessed with deposits of the black gold, our main means of trans –
porting petroleum products are through pipelines and tanke rs from depots, where they have been
delivered from foreign refineries which are moved to fuel stations nationwide.
While this has been a stable way haulages. over the years for transporting fuel, the question to
ask is whether these methods are actually s afe and sustainable.
Transporting with tankers has be known to have more disadvantages than benefits, posing a high
risk to people, and the environment and making the roads death traps for humans. The average
Nigerian perceives fuel tankers as a menace as it contributes to traffic congestion on the already
busy roads.
Topmost on the problem pyramid is the often erratic behaviour of tanker drivers who compete
with other motorists for the roads ignoring the weight of their haulages.
Unfortunately, this bad dr iving technique coupled with bad road condition often results in tanker
explosions that claim Transporting by tankers has been known many lives and properties. In
milder cases,
there are tanker spills where fue l tankers end up spilling transported fuel alo ng the way creating
an opportunity for unscrupulous people to scoop the petroleum products. Dangerous as it sounds,
it has become a regular news item and this questions the safety and sustainability of this method
of transporting fuel.
In fact, petroleum t anker driv ers have also repeatedly threatened strikes calling for the
rehabilitation of cross country road networks as well as increase in freight rates. Not many will
be as heroic or lucky as Ejiro Otarigho, a tanker driver who drove a burning tanker away from
where it could wreak greater havoc and in so doing, prevented the loss of lives and properties.
Pipeline vandalism, a deliberate act of damaging petroleum pipelines with the intention of
stealing petroleum products illegally a so continues to be an u nending me nace for the
government and oil marketers. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has
reported that the country loses about 200,000 barrels per day due to the nefarious activities of
vandals.
This is in addition to the environmental h azards van dalized pipelines pose to the communities
around them as a result of oil spillages which include the destruction of arable land that would
have otherwise been used for agriculture and other widespread ecosystem damage.
The activities of these pip eline vandals have hampered operations in the oil and gas sector and
have deprived the country of huge resources which otherwise would have accrued to government.
All efforts by government to eradicate this menace have virtually been thwarted through the
unpatriotic acts of some citizens and their collab orators. This has therefore put untold pressure
on the roads as the channel that is clearly easy to monitor and regulate.
Navigating a safe and sus tainable transport system is however not an impossible task. All it
requires is for all stakeholders to adequately key into their roles and responsibilities. This clearly
include the security agencies who are charged with securing every aspect of the oil chain in
Nigeria.
This will enable petroleum products to be t ransported by railways and thereby reduce the
many incessant road accidents, petroleum products road spillages, and avoidable deaths of
citizens.
Security agencies must be seen to be alive to their duties and rescue the nation and its oil
resources from th e gr asp of unpatriotic and unscrupulous individuals bent on strangulating it
economically.
In addition, technology has proved time and time again to be a reliable ally in fighting crimes
and other untoward activities. The government and all agencies involv ed ought n ot compromise
in terms of acquiring the latest technological gadgets and equipment that can help in tackling
illegal activities along the oil value chain.
Furthermore, the government should supply routes away from the same roads pedestrians and
motorists p ly solely restricted to tanker drivers. These routes should be monitored and well
maintained to ensure smooth delivery operations across the country.
The ongoing rail line construction in certain states of the country should be expanded to connec t
all major cities and towns in the country. This will enable petroleum products to be transported
by trains and thereby reduce the many incessant road accidents, petroleum products road
spillages, and avoidable deaths of citizens.
We may still have a lon g way to go but with consistent steps and contributions from stake –
holders in the oil sector, a safe and sustainable pathway for the Nigerian oil transport can be
created and maintained.
The average Nigerian perceives fuel tankers as a menace as it contri butes to traffic congestion
on the already busy roads.
