The last Thursday’s tanker fire on Otedola Link Bridge of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, that claimed several lives and properties is still fresh in our memory. Unfortunately, in less than 24 hours after the said incident, another fuel tanker explosion occurred on Suleja – Minna Road, as a result of head-on collision between a fuel tanker and a trailer. Thank God, no life was lost but 5 persons were reported injured.

Again, on Ojuelegba Bridge, Surulere, Lagos, a week ago, a container fell off a Trailer, three people were confirmed dead in the accident. Condolences to all the victims of the above stated sad events. As hilarious as this may sound, trailer/tanker mayhem seems to have become a common thing on Nigeria’s roads.
However, ours is a nation that is swift to condole with the victims and their family, rather than putting measures in place to prevent such occurrence. The maxim, ‘prevention is better than cure' is an irony in our society. ‘This is Naija', apology to the young Falana (Falz).

It is an undisputable fact that Nigeria is one of the leading crude oil producing nation in the world, but the nation can not boast of functional refineries that can adequately cater for local consumption of fuel. The failure of government in this regard, necessitated the need for shipping in refined fuel to the country, and the use of fuel tankers to convey the shipped fuel from seaport to various parts of the country. If these strategically located refineries are working effectively, their end product can be easily channelled through pipelines to points of usage with minimal use of fuel tankers.

Also, in other developed countries of the world, of which Nigeria aspires to be numbered with, fuel tankers and other heavy duty trucks travel only on railway tracks, specifically constructed for such purpose, and don't share the same road with other vehicles. Reverse is the case in ours, the rail network in Nigeria is a mystery, even to those manning the machinery of government. The rail tracks has perpetually remain in the deteriorating state.

Only for successive government (since the inception of our re-birth democracy in 1999), to disturb the air wave with endless award of this or that contract of modern rail network, with no visible evidence of such, save the Abuja – Kaduna rail network, recently commissioned by the present administration.

Moving forward, since infrastructural development is not a day's job, by government policy, fuel tankers and heavy duty trucks should be move away from busy roads and restricted to certain routes. Articulated vehicles should be certified before embarking on any trip. Training and re-training of drivers will go a long way, and if at all, tankers must need ply busy roads, restriction on the time of movement will be in order.

On the long run, a state of emergency should be declared in transportation sector, construction and completion of modern railway network, that will connect all parts of the country, should be accelerated through public private partnership. Thereafter, tankers and heavy duty vehicles should be completely move away from Nigeria’s roads. Also, our refineries should be revitalize, and new players should be encouraged to engage in fuel refining business. Government should invest on security to safeguard fuel pipelines. If all these are implemented religiously, fuel tankers and trailers mayhem will soon become a thing of the past.

I'm just thinking aloud.

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