The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, on Wednesday, lamented that despite decades of awareness campaigns, legislation, and enforcement, Nigeria the still records about 5,000 deaths and 31,154 injuries annually from road crashes.
This is as the Federal Government has renewed the country’s commitment to safer roads through smarter transportation systems, stronger partnerships, and technology-driven solutions.
Speaking at the Corps 8th annual public lecture at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the FRSC Corps Marshall, Shehu Mohammed, said, “Current data on road crashes reveal a yearly average about 5,000 persons killed and 31,154 persons injured. “
He stated that this year’s lecture with the theme: “Road Safety Management and Emerging Transportation Trends: Global Partnership and Optimal Performance”, was chosen as a deliberate guide to ensure that deliberations would proffer solutions to the challenges of emerging trends in global road transportation.
The FRSC Corps Marshall said the theme was also carefully selected to align with the United Nations Assembly resolutions for Africa to implement measures that could reduce road crash fatalities and injuries by 50% by the year 2030.
He declared that the figures underscored the need for the Corps to do more in harnessing resources towards implementing the national road safety development plan as captured in the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) document.
“As we are all aware, the NRSS was developed as a blueprint for a successful implementation of the national road safety development plan. NRSS seeks to harness collaborative effort of road safety stakeholders from local, through to the Federal Government levels to holistically implement the blueprint for sustainable road transport safety management in Nigeria.
“I have a strong conviction that resolutions emanating from this lecture series could provide critical insights towards achieving this objective.”
He called for the accelerated consideration of the FRSC Amendment Bill which is awaiting concurrence by the Senate
He noted that the bill when passed into law, will help in strengthening legislation for the enforcement of road traffic laws and regulations.
He said: “Indeed, it will also provide the needed motivation in terms of welfare and security of personnel that will positively impact on our productivity in service delivery. “
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who chairs the National Road Safety Advisory Council, stressed that road safety remains a collective duty that cannot be performed by government alone.
“The duty of keeping our roads safe cannot be performed in isolation. We must fully engage all levels of government, the private sector, and civil society.
“Every crash statistic represents a broken family, a future cut short. Our task is to translate the ideas generated here into practical actions that will resonate across our highways,” the Vice President said.
He lauded the FRSC for 37 years of consistent enforcement of road regulations and public sensitization, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to implementing the National Road Safety Strategy through heavy investments in road construction, maintenance, and expansion.
International partners, including the FIA Foundation, also came in for commendation for helping Nigeria align with global best practices.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, described the annual lecture as a “strategic platform for dialogue, innovation, and knowledge sharing.”
He said the theme was timely as the world adapts to electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, smart traffic systems, and digital logistics platforms.
“Every road crash is not just a number, it is a human tragedy and a national development challenge. Road safety is a human rights issue and a priority for productivity and social well-being,” the SGF declared.