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The Lagos State government has banned the use of petroleum tankers for transporting edible oil, in a fresh move aimed at protecting public health and strengthening food safety standards across the state.
The decision emerged from a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and key stakeholders in the edible oil and haulage sectors, reports The Nation.
The agreement followed alarming discoveries by NAFDAC that some transporters and operators had been using tankers previously deployed for petroleum products to haul edible oil for human consumption.
The agency warned that residues from petroleum products could contaminate cooking oil and expose consumers to severe health complications, including long term toxic effects.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, General Manager of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, said the state government would no longer condone practices capable of endangering the lives of residents in the name of business convenience.
He said the collaboration between LASCOPA, NAFDAC and industry players reflected a renewed determination to sanitise the food transportation chain and ensure that edible products reaching consumers met acceptable safety standards.
According to him, only dedicated and certified tankers would henceforth be permitted to transport edible oil within Lagos, while violators of the directive would face strict sanctions.
Solebo noted that consumer protection remained a critical responsibility of government, adding that unsafe transportation practices within the food supply chain could have devastating consequences for public health.
NAFDAC officials explained that investigations carried out within Lagos, particularly around industrial and port corridors, uncovered cases where petroleum tankers were being used interchangeably for transporting vegetable oil without proper decontamination procedures.
Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said the development raised serious concerns over food contamination and regulatory breaches within the haulage sector.
He disclosed that the new framework would introduce stricter monitoring mechanisms, improved traceability and clearer identification systems for tankers approved to transport edible products.
Iluyomade added that manufacturers, distributors and transport operators had also been directed to comply fully with the new safety guidelines or risk enforcement actions from regulatory agencies.
