PBAT Urges African Governments to Develop Workable Strategies to End Road Accidents

President Bola Tinubu has called on African leaders to strengthen international partnerships in tackling the rising cases of road accidents across the continent.

Speaking at the opening of the International Road Crash Victims Africa Conference, President Tinubu emphasized the need for governments and stakeholders in Africa to develop workable solutions that would put an end to the loss of productive young Africans to road accidents.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President stated that the current administration is making significant investments in road infrastructure to boost socio-economic activities and safeguard lives and property on Nigerian roads.

He assured that the Federal Government would continue to support global initiatives aimed at drastically reducing accidents.

Delivering the keynote address, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, expressed confidence that strict enforcement of traffic rules and greater visibility of Federal Road Safety Corps personnel would help restore sanity on the highways.

Senator Oshiomhole noted that influential and political elites in Nigeria often violate traffic regulations and drive recklessly without regard for traffic officials. He urged the FRSC to be more courageous in arresting and prosecuting traffic offenders, regardless of their social status, to curb disobedience to traffic laws.

The former Edo State governor also highlighted the importance of ensuring that road signs are included in all road construction contracts as a guide for road users.

He commended the Federal Road Safety Corps for its commitment to reducing road accidents in Africa, noting that such efforts would significantly contribute to the continent’s development.

In her remarks, the Founder of Kwapada Road Safety Demand and President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said the conference brought together road safety officials from fifteen African countries, along with experts from the World Bank, United Nations, and international NGOs, to address the challenges faced by road accident victims who are often neglected.

Justice Dongban-Mensem announced that the Foundation plans to establish an International Trauma Centre in Abuja to provide needed support for road accident victims who currently lack adequate care.

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mallam Shehu Mohammed, stated that the outcome of the conference would yield a strong approach capable of reducing the rate of road accidents across Africa.

The conference, themed “Gathering the World Africa For Road Crash Victims,” convened governments and stakeholders in the transportation sector to pool resources toward achieving effective traffic management across the continent.