By Ibironke Ariyo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reiterated its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of Nigerian students and all road users.

The FRSC gave the assurance following a strategic meeting with the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

This is contained in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Ogungbemide said that the meeting was convened at the instance of the Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed.

He said this was in response to recent concerns raised by NANS over the incessant crashes involving articulated vehicles, which had unfortunately claimed lives of one or two students in Edo.

According to him, the corps marshal expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased students, describing every life lost on Nigerian roads as “a wound to the conscience of the nation”.

The FRSC boss assured the students body that their voices have not only been heard, but were already shaping deliberate actions to end the menace of reckless driving by truck operators.

“Our students are the future of this country. Losing them to avoidable crashes is not just painful, it is highly unacceptable.

“This meeting is not about shifting blames, but about finding lasting solutions together. FRSC is prepared to work hand in hand with NANS to ensure that no family has to mourn a child because of a preventable crash,” he said.

Mohammed used the opportunity of the meeting to outline ongoing and intensified measures being deployed by the FRSC to address the menace of truck crashes across the country.

He listed this to include partnership with major fleet operators like the Dangote and BUA Groups.

He revealed that the FRSC had so far trained and certified thousands of heavy duty truck drivers across Ibese, Obajana, and other depots.

He said that more training were ongoing in Okpella and Gboko, with focus on defensive driving, fatigue management, and adherence to traffic regulations.

He added that recently, more than 2,700 trucks were subjected to rigorous checks in line with FRSC’s annual fleet operators’ certification to ensure that only roadworthy vehicles were on Nigerian highways.

”The corps is strengthening its patrol and surveillance systems with technology that tracks driver’s behaviour, while pushing for speed limiting devices and improved safety standards for heavy duty vehicles.

“Beyond enforcement, FRSC is engaging critical stakeholders, students, transport unions, fleet owners, and community leaders.

‘This is through town hall meetings across all formations to collectively drive behavioural change and instill safety consciousness on Nigerian roads.

“This engagement with NANS is not a one-off meeting but the beginning of a sustained partnership with Nigerian students,” the corps marshal said.

The FRSC boss assured the public that the corps would continue to prioritise safety through empathy, enforcement, and education.

He appealed to students and the general public to remain calm, assuring that decisive steps were being taken to end the needless tragedies on Nigerian roads.

He emphasised that no protest was more powerful than a united commitment to save lives, adding that the corps was ready to raise the bar of safety on Nigerian roads.

In his remarks, Lucky Omonefe, the immediate Past National President and serving Ex-Officio 1 of the association, said the corps invitation had demonstrated sincerity and respect for the Nigerian student community.

He noted that dialogue and not confrontation remained the strongest path to progress.

”We came with anger, but we are leaving with hope. What we have seen today is a leadership that listens. Dialogue is the tool we must all embrace to change drivers’ behaviours, stop recklessness, and reduce carnage on our roads,” he said.(NAN)

Edited by Yinusa Ishola/Deborah Coker