BY IBIRONKE ARIYO
Nigeria has been grappling with the menace of road traffic crashes for decades, resulting in the loss of countless lives and leaving many families shattered.
The country’s roads were bedevilled by accidents caused by a combination of factors, including poor roads, reckless driving, and inadequate enforcement of traffic laws.
The appointment of Shehu Mohammed as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), by President Bola Tinubu signals a renewed dedication to combating the scourge of road traffic crashes in Nigeria.
This move demonstrates the government’s commitment to enhancing road safety and reducing the alarming rate of road accidents in the country.
The strategic selection of Mohammed, a renowned specialist with a proven track record in tackling road traffic crashes, as the head of FRSC underscores the administration’s resolve to make meaningful impacts on road safety and sets the stage for achieving this critical objective.
The achievements of the FRSC in its enforcement and sensitisation campaigns over the past seven months of his tenure are no coincidence; they demonstrate the effectiveness of its current leader.
Mohammed has been instrumental in the Corps’ impressive track record, showcasing his ability to drive meaningful change and improvement in road safety in Nigeria.
The significant progress made by the FRSC is a testament to his vision and commitment to reducing road traffic crashes and promoting road safety awareness.
Under his leadership, the Corps made significant strides in tackling road traffic crashes, with a renewed focus to rejig and reposition operational strategies to conform with present-day realities.
Other strides include training and retraining of staff to align with realistic expectations; Strategic partnerships with sister agencies, international organisations, and Special Marshals; Digital transformation in operations, harmonisation of the ranking structure, career progression, and provision of conducive environment for working.
The Corps has been spearheading efforts to address road safety concerns, diligently undertaking a range of critical activities including investigations, prosecutions, vehicle impoundments, arrests, and public awareness campaigns to educate the public and promote behavioural change.
Notable among the achievements of the FRSC in the last seven months is the launch of its Mobile Application and National Crash Reporting Information System, (NACRIS), to verify driver’s licence, number plates, and detect speed among others.
The app also provided services such as eye witness report, emergency reports, black spot, National traffic radio, speed limiter verification, driving school standardisation scheme verification, reminder for driver’s licence, and vehicle paper renewal, and emergency contacts.
Speaking at the launch of the App, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Sen. George Akume, said that the launch of the digital platforms would raise awareness and sensitise drivers and passengers to the potential causes of road traffic crashes.
Akume said that it also marked a giant stride in the effort of the corps at implementing policies and creating a safer motoring environment by reducing crash-related injuries and deaths on the highways.
He commended the FRSC for its efforts in aligning with one of the cardinal objectives of the renewed hope agenda, targeted at digital transformation and economic growth of the nation.
In his words, the FRSC Corps Marshal said the mobile app is a software application that can be used to alert the corps on sensitive road safety issues through programmed features such as assisted speeding, dangerous driving, verifying vehicle documents, among others.
He said that the proper application of these features was expected to drastically reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes.
On Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in Nigeria, the FRSC Corps Marshal said that the Corps recorded a 12.8 per cent reduction between January and October 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
Mohammed said that the decrease was a testament to the FRSC’s commitment to improving road safety in Nigeria while highlighting the corps’ efforts to enhance road safety and reduce the number of crashes on Nigerian roads.
He said that the Corps had set an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths by five per cent every year, aligning with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.
The FRSC boss said that the Corps’ commitment to enhancing road safety underscored the FRSC’s dedication to protecting Nigerian lives on the roads.
“FRSC’s efforts to reduce road crashes are in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030.
“The number of crashes decreased from 8,654 in 2023 to 7,675 in 2024, representing a 12.8 per cent reduction.
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