The Federal Road Safety Corps, in collaboration with the Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand Foundation, has unveiled plans to host the inaugural International Road Crash Victims’ Advocacy Conference in Nigeria, scheduled for November 2025.

Speaking at a press conference held at the FRSC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed stressed the need to shift global road safety conversations toward the realities of low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa.

“And over the years, even when we are taking global health and safety conferences, the emphasis is more on the high-income countries, not what is being considered for the road traffic crash victims.

“That is why FRSC and KRSD Foundation came together to stage an African conference that will bring in technocrats, professionals, experts in road transport, traffic, and safety management and administration all over the world to come and showcase our country, our continent and our city, Abuja,” Mohammed said.

The FRSC Boss highlighted the humanitarian cost of traffic accidents, especially on families.

“The victims of road traffic crashes have suffered a lot. The most worried souls are the women and children left behind. The children were left or cared for, or kept.

“Some dropped out of school and joined drugs and criminal activities, while the women are also left in abject poverty or hunger. And we felt we shouldn’t continue like this,” he noted.

According to Mohammed, the initiative aligns with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, whose government is focused on improving the quality of life and economic development.

“That is why the two partners, FRSC and KRSD, came together to support his administration to make this international conference a reality in Abuja.”

Also speaking at the press briefing, the Founder of the KRSD Foundation and President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, formally announced IRCVAC 2025 as part of the Foundation’s 14th anniversary.

The KRSD Foundation, founded on September 30, 2011, was established in memory of her late son and has since become a leading voice for road crash victims in Nigeria and beyond.

She stated that the conference, themed “Gathering Africa and the World for Road Crash Victims,” will be the first African event specifically dedicated to those affected by road crashes.

“This theme reflects our determination to bring together governments, private organisations, civil society, victims’ groups, and the global road safety community to act decisively in reducing the heavy toll of road crashes in Africa,” she said.

Pre-conference activities will commence on November 15, featuring a cycling event, a walk, and a golf tournament—symbolic gestures to promote safer, healthier mobility and express solidarity with victims.

Citing data from the World Health Organization and the National Bureau of Statistics, Dongban-Mensem painted a grim picture of the country’s road safety landscape.

The Founder stated, “The WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 confirms that Nigeria has one of the highest road traffic death rates in Africa and the world—21.4 deaths per 100,000 population.”

She continued, “This figure is not just a number. It means that thousands of Nigerian families are devastated every year. It is significantly higher than both the global and African averages.”

The Chief Justice underscored that the IRCVAC is not just another conference but a call to action. “It is about giving road crash victims and their families a platform. It is about ensuring their experiences shape solutions and their voices lead change advocacy.”

The conference will also support the global Vision Zero and Safe Systems Approach, which advocates that no death on the road is acceptable and that safety must be embedded in every aspect of transportation systems.

“We know safer roads, vehicles, responsible road use, and stronger post-crash care save lives.

“But to achieve this in Africa, we must mobilize action at scale and ensure that governments, civil society, and the private sector work hand-in-hand,” she said.

Dongban-Mensem urged the public and the media to get involved.

Registration for the International Road Crash Victims’ Advocacy Conference 2025 is open at www.ircvac.com.ng.

The FRSC had reported a continued rise in traffic incidents across Nigeria. Between January and June 2025, the agency recorded 5,281 crashes involving 39,793 individuals, resulting in 2,838 deaths and 17,818 rescues.

The corps revealed that the figures represented a 3.9 percent increase in crashes and a 2.2 percent rise in fatalities compared to the same period in 2024.

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