NMDPRA to Ensure Petroleum Products Supply, Seamless Distribution 

Sylvester Idowu in Warri 

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has assured that the federal government is committed to ensuring sustained petroleum products supply and seamless distribution in the country.

Delta State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Victor Ohwodiasa, gave the assurance yesterday at a Stakeholders Engagement/Alignment Meeting on Petroleum Movement in Delta State.

The stakeholders meeting was convened by the Warri Zonal Office of the NMDPRA.

The meeting was convened to address Safe-To-Load Initiative aimed at reducing Truck-In-Transit Accident, documentation of trucks conveying petroleum products, colour coding and branding of trucks amongst other issues

Addressing the participants, Ohwodiasa said the federal government was concerned about truck-in-transit accidents and products being delayed in transit, emphasising that delay in oil and gas industry obviously lead to additional cost in their operations.

“There is no cause for alarm, government is doing everything possible to ensure there is sustained product supply and the products are distributed without hitches,” he said.

Ohwodiasa said that the essence of the meeting was to avail critical stakeholders including the government, security agencies on the documentations they needed to checkout for and others.

“The essence of this meeting is to have an alignment with the critical stakeholders on critical issues that require inputs and collaboration of all concerned parties.

“Some of the areas of alignment are the colour coding of trucks that convey petroleum products within the country. The NMDPRA is enforcing colour coding and branding of trucks for easy identification of the product the truck is conveying.

“The colour coding for Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) is light blue with 75 cm height while that of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), is a combination of deep yellow and light blue with 75 cm height.

“Similarly, for Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), the colour coding is deep yellow shade with 75 cm height,” he said.

Ohwodiasa specifically drew the attention of the participants to Section 48 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) while seeking for continued collaboration and synergy.

According to him, Section 48 stipulates that any government ministry, department or agency exercising any power or function or taking action which may have direct impact on the NMDPRA operations should consult with the Authority.

The coordinator said that the essence of the Section 48 was to ensure seamless and sustained movement and distribution of petroleum products within the country.

Ohwodiasa, who also spoke on the Safe-To-Load initiative of the federal government, explained that the initiative was aimed at reducing truck carnages on the roads.

The coordinator told the stakeholders that there was a need to reduce the capacity of trucks conveying petroleum products.

According to him, currently the approved maximum loading capacity of a truck is 60,000 litres adding that with time, the capacity will be scaled down to 45,000 litres in order to reduce truck-in-transit accidents.

Ohwodiasa also drew attention of the participants to the approved emergency numbers by the federal government, adding that it was tow-free.

He said that the numbers were 112 and 122 and urged anybody to call whenever there was an accident for prompt response.

“The numbers were tested by participants during the meeting and they were all functional,” he said.

Ohwodiasa said that the meeting was part of the regular sensitisation meetings with stakeholders to intimate them on development in the oil and gas industry.

The coordinator who expressed delight at the turnout, said that the meeting was an expanded stakeholders meeting that involved all the critical stakeholders, “so that all of us can align on implementation and monitoring.”

He said that the meeting would be sustained based on the directives from the NMDPRA’s Chief Executive, Ahmed Farouk, that regular engagement be held for sensitisation on issues in the industry.

Some of the participants asked questions which were adequately responded to by the state coordinator.

Chairman, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Delta chapter, Mr. Duke Obaro, commended the NMDPRA for convening the critical stakeholders meeting.