The Otedola Bridge fire accident occurred on the Otedola Bridge at the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway [1] where a tanker lorry fully loaded with petroleum product fell, [2] leaked and exploded on 28 June 2018. [3] [4]
The massive fire at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway broke out after the explosion of a petroleum filled tanker lorry leading to the transfer of flames to other vehicles approaching the lorry on the busy road. [5] [6]
The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps tweeted that night, "A total of nine persons have been confirmed dead as a result of the incident." [7] The Lagos State Government reported that the number had risen to twelve on July 2. [8]
The Federal Road Safety Corps announced that at least 54 vehicles were burnt with the tanker. [9] A number of eyewitnesses, nearby residents and public figures believe that the reports on the economic loss and casualties are distorted by government and media. [10]
Nigeria’s transport network has expanded in recent years to accommodate a growing population. The transport and storage sector was valued at N2.6trn ($6.9bn) in current basic prices in 2020, down from N3trn ($8bn) in 2019, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This was reflected in a lower contribution to GDP, at 1.8% in the fourth quarter of 2020, down from 2.1% during the same period the previous year but higher than the 0.8% recorded in the third quarter of 2020. One of the most significant challenges facing the sector is meeting the needs of both large coastal cities and rural inland communities in order to fully unlock the country’s economic potential. This is especially the case with mining and agriculture, both of which are expected to benefit from two large-scale projects: the Lekki Port in Lagos and the Kano-Maradi rail line in the north of the country.
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Overland Airways is an airline based in Ikeja in Lagos State, Nigeria. Its main base is Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, with a hub at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Lagos Island is the principal and central Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 within an area of just 8.7 km2. The LGA only covers the western half of Lagos Island; the eastern half is simply referred to as Lagos Island East LCDA.
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the others are the Eko and Carter bridges. It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. The phase one of the project was commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1980 and completed by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.
The 2006 Abule Egba pipeline explosion is a disaster that occurred in the heavily populated neighborhood of Abule Egba in Lagos, Nigeria, on 26 December 2006, killing hundreds of people. There were originally believed to be around 500 deaths, but it was later confirmed that the loss was smaller.
Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, is a Nigerian lawyer and politician, who has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the 14th Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from 2019 to 2023.
Olufemi Peter Otedola is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. He is the former chairman of Forte Oil PLC, and is the current executive chairman of Geregu Power PLC.
Bright Okpocha, better known by his stage name Basketmouth, is a Nigerian comedian and actor. He has organized popular stand-up comedy concerts like Basketmouth Uncensored across the globe.
The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway is a 127.6-kilometre-long (79.3 mi) expressway connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. It is also the major route to the northern, southern and eastern parts of Nigeria. The expressway is the oldest in Nigeria, commissioned in August 1978 during the Military era, under the administration of Lieutenant-General Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway is a 1,343 kilometres -long standard gauge railway under construction in Nigeria. Once complete, the railway will connect the Atlantic Ocean port city of Lagos to Kano, near the border with Niger, passing through the national capital of Abuja. The railway replaces the Cape gauge Western Line built by the British in 1896–1927, which has a lower design capacity and is in a deteriorated condition.
The Dangote Refinery is an oil refinery owned by Dangote Group that was inaugurated on 22 May 2023 in Lekki, Nigeria. When fully operational, it is expected to have the capacity to process about 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it the largest single-train refinery in the world. The investment is over US$19 billion.
On 5 November 2021 a collision between a petrol fuel tanker and a lorry at a busy junction of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, resulted in an explosion and a fire that caused 154 deaths and 304 injuries, overwhelming the city's medical services.
Boboye Olayemi OyeyemiOFR, mni, NPom was Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (Nigeria) from July 2014 to July 2022. His appointment was renewed by the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari for a second and final term which took effect from 24 July 2018.
Events in the year 2023 in Nigeria.
On 6 August 2018, the collision of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) road tanker with an articulated lorry carrying flammable solvents and a car transporter resulted in a huge explosion on the A14 motorway within Borgo Panigale, a neighbourhood of Bologna, Italy. It was a case of boiling-liquid expanding-vapour explosion (BLEVE), where nearly all the road tanker cargo combusted in a matter of seconds upon release, generating a tremendous amount of thermal radiation. The accident killed two people, injured 145 and caused significant damage to the surrounding commercial and residential area. One span of the viaduct where it happened collapsed and a gash opened in the motorway.
On 15 October 2024, a fuel tanker exploded in Majiya, Jigawa State, Nigeria, killing at least 181 people and injuring 80 others.