Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for concrete and collaborative efforts to reduce road crash fatalities and injuries in Nigeria by 50 per cent by the year 2030.
Shettima urged stakeholders to embrace global best practices and implement realistic strategies to enhance safety on the nation’s highways.
He made the call at the 8th Annual Lecture Series of the Federal Road Safety Corps on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event brought together government officials, transport experts, and road safety stakeholders to discuss the theme, “Road Safety Management and Emerging Transportation Trends: Global Partnership and Optimal Performance.”
FRSC had revealed that between January and June 2025 alone, 5,281 crashes were recorded, involving 39,793 individuals. Of these, 2,838 lives were lost while 17,818 people were rescued.
In his keynote address, Shettima described the theme as timely and relevant, noting that it aims to address the growing challenges in the road transportation sector by drawing on international best practices.
“Indeed the theme of this lecture is timely. It also seeks to address the challenges of emerging trend in road transportation using global partnership as leverage to adopt global best practices on road safety issues.
“I also urge you all to deliberate on practicable and applicable measures that will sanitise our highways with a view to achieving the target of 50 per cent reduction of crash fatalities/injuries by the year 2030,” Shettima said.
The Vice President said the annual lecture series is an opportunity for the FRSC to “review its performance, identify areas of need, and raise awareness on road safety issues in Nigeria.”
He noted that previous editions of the series had contributed to positive outcomes, including safer driving habits and improved emergency response.
Highlighting the FRSC’s growing regional influence, the Vice President commended the Corps for its achievements.
“I wish to commend the FRSC for its numerous laudable achievements, which placed Nigeria on the focus as a lead country in road safety management in the West Africa sub-region as well as in Africa in general,” he said.
Shettima reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the FRSC, especially through legislative backing and institutional strengthening.
He noted that the FRSC Amendment Bill had already passed third reading in the House of Representatives and is awaiting concurrence in the Senate.
“I wish to assure you that the government will continue to promote compliance to global best practices in road safety by supporting innovations that strengthen the Corps to ensure compliance to road safety laws and regulations,” he added.
Shettima urged participants to focus on actionable outcomes that can directly improve safety on Nigerian roads.
In his goodwill message, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, called for intensified efforts in road safety management across Nigeria, urging FRSC and stakeholders to aim for a “zero-death” record during the forthcoming Ember Months.
“As we deliberate on the way forward, I enjoin the corps to put up practicable measures towards achieving zero deaths in road crashes during the Yuletide and the New Year celebrations,” he stated.
Akume commended the corps for its consistent efforts in promoting road safety awareness, vehicle maintenance, and standard-setting for fleet operators nationwide.
He highlighted that while developed nations have adopted stringent measures to sanitise their road networks, the FRSC’s lecture series offers Nigeria a valuable opportunity to assess and enhance its performance in line with global best practices.
He added that the FRSC’s efforts are in alignment with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in promoting sustainable and safe mobility for Nigerians.
“I therefore, appeal to all stakeholders to collaborate in making road safety a priority; and as we share responsibilities, we can strengthen enforcement, improve response time to crash scenes, thus saving more lives on our roads,” he urged.
In his address, the FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed called for renewed national and global partnerships to tackle Nigeria’s persistent road safety challenges.
The event marked the revival of the FRSC Lecture Series, which was last held in 2017. Mohammed explained that the decision to bring back the series in 2025 aligns with FG’s Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to promote sustainable transportation and public health.
“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 per cent by the year 2030,” he said.
Despite the FRSC’s efforts in enforcement, public enlightenment, and advocacy, Mohammed acknowledged the ongoing challenges reflected in Nigeria’s road crash data.
“Current data on road crashes reveal a yearly average of about 5,000 persons killed and 31,154 persons injured.
“These figures underscore 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 document,” he said.
The corps marshal expressed optimism that the resolutions from the lecture would translate into effective policies and behavioural change on Nigerian roads.
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