Vice President Shettima Calls for Overhaul of Road Safety Measures to Curb Accidents

• Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s road safety measures to address the rising number of accidents
• The National Road Safety Advisory Council aims to reduce traffic accidents by 50% before 2030, emphasizing international best practices for road safety

Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s road safety measures in response to the increasing number of road accidents.

He issued this directive on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a meeting with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) leadership, led by Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed.

The Vice President is preparing to inaugurate the National Road Safety Advisory Council, which will be tasked with reducing traffic accidents by half before 2030.

During the meeting, Shettima emphasized the urgent need to address the rising number of accidents on highways and in cities, which are largely due to non-compliance with traffic regulations.

He called for a solution aligned with international best practices, citing examples from countries like Dubai and the UK.

“We need a comprehensive solution for our road safety challenges. The whole ecosystem is not as it should be,” Shettima said, stressing the need for deliberate efforts to address road safety issues. He highlighted the importance of using technology and enforcing discipline to improve safety.

He pointed out how countries like Dubai and the UK capture traffic violations via car number plates and charge fines directly from bank accounts, encouraging people to obey the law.

Shettima also underlined the link between road safety and broader security concerns, noting that the FRSC’s work is intertwined with the Nigerian Police, as both play crucial roles in the nation’s security framework.

The FRSC Corps Marshal highlighted the significance of the National Road Safety Advisory Council in the updated Nigeria Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.

He explained that the council’s main goal is to reduce road traffic crashes by 50% by 2030. The council will focus on setting national road safety targets, coordinating efforts across federal, state, and local governments, and overseeing the implementation of strategic road safety initiatives.