Road Safety: Nigeria Rated High At FRSC’s 7th Annual Lecture

The international community, on Thursday, rated Nigeria high on road safety as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) held its 7th annual lectures series.

This year’s annual lecture series, code-named: “Achieving the Goals of the UN Decade of Action For Road Safety in Africa,” held at the Banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Road Safety, Jean Todt, who served as guest speaker at the event, lamented the devastating social and economic effects of road traffic crashes on the African continent.

While commending the FRSC for its steady campaigns for safer roads, Todt called on other nations to mimic the vigorous road safety strategic agenda being practiced by the Corps.

According to Todt, Nigeria can attain the United Nations’ “Decade of Action For Road Safety: 2011-2020” target if the country steadies its commitment to road safety through augmented investment and campaigns.

“Nigeria is doing well in road safety agenda in Africa, and it should sustain its investment for the effects to become manifest.

“Nigeria could serve as an example for other nations through credible data management; but this cannot be achieved without some level of investments in data processing and cost,” he stated.

The UN Envoy equally used the opportunity to call on other African nations to tackle road traffic crashes in their countries as a matter of urgency.

Speaking further, Todt disclosed that the UN General Assembly is conceiving a special road safety fund as part of its commitment to road safety on the continent.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who served as Special Guest of Honour at the event, congratulated the leadership of the FRSC for the success it has achieved through the FRSC annual lecture series.

Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of State for Works, Power and Housing, Alhaji Suleiman Hassan, said the vision behind the establishment of the FRSC as Nigeria’s lead agency for road safety management and administration 29 years ago, has been vindicated.

The Vice President also lamented that road traffic crashes remains a source of concern not only to the country but most developing economies of the world.

“The declaration of 2011-2020 as Decade of Action for Road Safety by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 was therefore, the most audacious demonstration of the commitment of the world body to tackling the challenges which road traffic crashes pose to mankind.

“The FRSC Annual Lecture Series, inaugurated some years back, forms part of the nation’s activities aimed at creating public awareness on issues of road safety among various stakeholders.

“Let me state that part of Nigeria’s commitment to the success of the UN Road Safety campaign is the nation’s continuous and expanding scope of legislative review of the law setting up the FRSC to enhance its capacity to enforce and boost the competence of its personnel through their capacity development as well as massive logistics support by the Federal Government.

“I must however stress that keeping the road safe is not a responsibility which one government agency can successfully handle alone, except with the support of all citizens and stakeholders who must join hands in the spirit of shared responsibility,” Osinbajo said.

The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, in his welcome address, expressed concern over the social and economic effects of road traffic crashes in Nigeria and Africa in general.

Oyeyemi, however, stated that the FRSC remains committed to tackling the menace of road traffic crashes in the country.

He said the Corps took a strategic decision by keying into the Accra declaration of 2007-2015 and the African Road Safety Charter, 2011-2020, all of which aligned with the national development agenda of Vision 20:2020.

Oyeyemi stated that the aforementioned were to assist in combating the road safety challenges of Nigeria and the African continent at large.

The Corps Marshal further disclosed that the adoption of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy Document 2014-2018 was one of the strategic outcomes of government interventions aimed at achieving 35 per cent fatality reduction.

He equally said the adoption of Safe System Approach has helped in reducing Nigeria’s fatality rate to about 6,000 death per annum.

“Sustaining the safe system approach will set Nigeria among the top of the 20 safest nations in the world by 2020,” he said.

Other speakers at FRSC Annual Lecture Series included the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Habibat Lawal; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammed Bello; and the Chairman of the occasion, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and Prof. Wole Soyinka, the pioneer Chairman of the FRSC Board.

Some notable figures who attended the event were the FRSC Annual Lecture Series were the UN Representative in Nigeria; the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; some past Chairmen of the FRSC Board; top government officials; road safety practitioners from home and abroad; representatives of military and paramilitary organisations in the country. Members of Diplomatic Corps; Civil Society Organisations; transport unions; amongst others.