Vice President Kashim Shettima has issued a directive for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s road safety infrastructure.
The announcement came during a meeting with the leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), led by Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
As part of the initiative, the Vice President will formally launch the National Road Safety Advisory Council, which will focus on reducing traffic accidents by 50% before 2030.
This body will take on the critical task of addressing the nation’s growing road safety challenges.
During the meeting, Vice President Shettima underscored the urgency of the situation, noting that the rising number of road accidents on highways and in cities largely stems from widespread disregard for traffic regulations.
“We need a comprehensive solution for our road safety challenges. The whole ecosystem is not as it should be,” Shettima remarked, calling for “deliberate efforts toward addressing our road challenges,” in line with global best practices observed in countries like Dubai and the United Kingdom.
He highlighted how leveraging technology and promoting discipline could lead to significant improvements in road safety.
Shettima cited examples from Dubai and the UK, saying, “In places like Dubai and the UK, they have a mechanism of checking road traffic violators, capture their car number plates and are charged directly from their bank account. This way, people are encouraged to obey the law. We need to be a disciplined nation.”
Shettima further stressed that road safety is intertwined with broader national security concerns, stating, “The FRSC’s job is intertwined with that of the Nigerian Police as it is part of the security architecture of the nation.”
Earlier, FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed highlighted the importance of the National Road Safety Advisory Council as a core element of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.
“The idea is to reduce road traffic crashes by 50% between now and 2030,” he explained, outlining the council’s responsibilities. The Council will set national road safety targets, coordinate efforts between federal, state, and local governments, and oversee the implementation of strategic safety initiatives across the country.
