Dangote Industries Limited has distanced itself from a truck involved in a fatal road accident in Enugu on Wednesday, sparking renewed concerns over road safety and corporate accountability in Nigeria.
The crash, which occurred around 9 a.m., involved a Howo truck loaded with cement and a Toyota Corolla. The vehicle, bearing the inscription of Visco Investment Global Limited, was said to be travelling from Aba to Abuja when tragedy struck.
Initial reports circulating online linked the truck to the Dangote Group, a claim the company has now firmly denied.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Dangote Group stressed that the truck was not part of its fleet, describing the circulation of such claims as “misinformation.” The management further explained that investigations are underway to determine why the vehicle was carrying the company’s logo despite having no ties to the conglomerate.
“Going forward, we will apply more scrutiny to the unauthorised use of our brand identity, especially the misuse of our logo on vehicles not linked to the Group,” the statement read.
The company also pledged to cooperate fully with relevant authorities handling the matter and urged the public and media to refrain from spreading unverified claims.
For many Nigerians, the recurring link between Dangote-branded trucks and deadly accidents is more than a corporate image problem—it is a matter of life and death. Heavy-duty trucks dominate highways across the country, often blamed for reckless driving, mechanical faults, and overloading.
The public continues to grapple with grief and anger. Just recently, Ruth Otabor, the younger sister of Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma “Phyna” Otabor, died after being hit by a truck allegedly connected to the company near Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State. Ruth had just graduated days earlier, and her death reignited calls for stricter regulations on articulated vehicles.
Preventing Future Tragedies
Stakeholders believe accidents like this highlight systemic failures in Nigeria’s transport and safety regulations. Experts have called for:
- Stricter enforcement of roadworthiness tests for heavy-duty vehicles.
- Regular training and certification for truck drivers to reduce reckless driving.
- Deployment of tracking and identification systems to verify ownership and curb the misuse of corporate logos.
- Harsher penalties for companies and individuals found culpable in fatal road crashes.
Until such measures are fully implemented, the average Nigerian road user remains vulnerable to accidents that could, and should, be prevented.
As investigations into the Enugu crash continue, the incident has once again underlined the urgent need for accountability and reform to make Nigerian roads safer.
