FRSC Corps Marshal seeks safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists

By Ibironke Ariyo

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Malam Shehu Mohammed, has called for urgent and collaborative efforts to protect pedestrians and cyclists on Nigerian roads.

Mohammed made the call on Monday in Abuja during a joint press briefing with key stakeholders in commemoration of the 8th United Nations Global Road Safety Week.

The Corps Marshal said that the event presented the opportunity to reinforce the collective responsibilities in making roads safer for every road user particularly the most vulnerable.

The FRSC boss said that the theme for the 8th edition ‘Make Walking Safe, Make Cycling Safe’, spotlights the need to prioritise non-motorised transportation in road safety strategies

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UN Global Road Safety Week was first established in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly.

NAN also reports that it was established as part of efforts to raise awareness on the growing crisis of road traffic deaths and injuries.

It is being coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) and is held biennially.

Mohammed said that in Nigeria, walking and cycling were not merely recreational activities but primary modes of transportation for many citizens including school children, traders, workers and low-income earners.

“Sadly, the roads used by these individuals are often dangerous due to lack of sidewalks and specialised lanes for cyclists.

“There are also the issues of inadequate road infrastructure such as sidewalks, pedestrian bridges and cycling lanes,”he said.

Mohammed said that drivers’ behaviour including speed, distorted driving and failure to yield to pedestrians were great concerns to the Corps.

This, he said included low public awareness in rural and semi-urban areas and weak compliance to road use regulations that protect vulnerable users.

“Permit me to share with you the current data which highlights the urgency of our critical efforts: In 2023, Nigeria recorded 10,617 road traffic crashes which tragically claimed 5,081 lives and injured 31,874 persons.

“A significant proportion of these victims were pedestrians and cyclists. In 2024, the number of crashes dropped to 9,570 (which is a 10 per cent reduction).

“In 2024, while there was a 10 per cent reduction in the number of crashes with 9,570 incidents, fatalities increased by seven per cent totalling 5,421, while injuries slightly decreased to 31,154.

“These numbers are more than just statistics as they represent human lives, families in grief and communities in distress,” he said.

The Corps Marshal reaffirmed that FRSC would continue to generate strategies to meet those glaring challenges.

Mohammed added that the Corps had also intensified public enlightenment campaigns nationwide through churches, mosques, the media and schools to educate road users on safe walking and cycling provisions.

He said that the establishment and sustenance of road safety clubs in schools and structured safety education for children and youth has been positive.

He also said that the Corps had also constantly engaged with the Federal and State Road Traffic Management Agencies to integrate non-motorised transportation facilities such as sidewalks, zebra crossing and cycling lanes into new and existing road projects.

“In the course of enforcement and surveillance, patrol teams are being deployed to monitor drivers’ behaviour in high-risk routes, enforce speed limits and also ensure the right of way of pedestrians,”he said

Speaking, Prof. Sydney Ibeanusi, Focal Person, United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention (UNDARSIP) said that the issue of road safety came to the fore with the launch of the 1999 World Disaster Report.

Ibeanusi said that the report moved away from the traditional paradigm of blaming the road users to one of a safe system.

“As part of this approach, emphasis is now directed at multimodal traffic systems implementation which encourages countries to provide safe cycling and walking.

“These are health improving, affordable and sustainable mobilities and modes of transport particularly in the urban cities, with increasing motorisation and urbanisation,”he said.

In her goodwill messages, President, Road Safety Officers Wives Association (ROSOWA), Dr Nafisat Shehu-Mohammed, said the association would be taking its road safety advocacy to the streets.

She said that the aim was to connect directly with everyday road users, drivers, pedestrians, and commuters in a bid to foster safer habits and reduce the alarming rate of road traffic incidents in Nigeria.

“This rally is not just going to be an event but a call for action and change.

“We are doing this to remind everyone that our streets must be made safe. We are walking, talking, and advocating for a cause that touches every household road safety,” she said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)