The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety, Shehu Mohammed, has reiterated the need for every hand to be on deck in tackling the high record of road accidents in the country, during the ’ember months’.
Mohammed stated this at a two-day workshop for FRSC management staff in Abuja on Tuesday, 5th of October,2024, noting that road accidents are the leading cause of death among young people globally including in Nigeria.
He stressed on the need and importance of cooperation from all sectors of society, in solving the reoccurring menace, adding that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and concern.
Muhammed added that, as Africa’s most populous youth demographic, Nigeria has more possibility to suffer grave losses if road safety isn't curtailed or addressed.
While speaking, he mentioned that if everyone does not come together to handle the incessant road accident occurrences in the 'ember months", the nation will continually record multiple deaths.
"The number one cause of death in youth is road traffic crashes. If we do not work together to reduce these incidents, we jeopardise our future. Every stakeholder—whether government official, vehicle manufacturer, engineer, or road user—has a role to play in making our roads safety" he said.
Speaking on the launch of the accident prevention campaign, with the theme “Retooling FRSC for Organisational Effectiveness from Policy Formulation to Strategic Implementation,” stated that, the campaign focuses on multiple fronts: from stricter law enforcement to improving public awareness.
According to the FRSC Public Education Officer, ACM Olusegun Ogungbemide, he explained that this year’s campaign is unique in its approach as it focuses on passenger rights, and in empowering them to voice concerns about reckless and careless driving.
“This year’s campaign is unique. We are focusing not only on educating drivers but also on informing passengers of their rights and encouraging them to speak up against reckless driving”, Ogungbemide said.
The FRSC’s approach this season also involves expanded outreach mechanisms beyond traditional methods like motor park visits.
The campaign strategy has a lineup of mega town hall meetings, motorcades, and transit camp stops across Nigeria, with the Corps also aiming to engage road users more directly and foster a safety-first culture amongst drivers and passengers.
