By Ibironke Ariyo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Nigeria has been grappling with the menace of road traffic crashes for decades, resulting in the loss of countless lives and leaving many families shattered.

The country’s roads were bedeviled by accidents caused by a combination of factors, including poor roads, reckless driving, and inadequate enforcement of traffic laws.

The appointment of Shehu Mohammed as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), by President Bola Tinubu signals a renewed dedication to combating the scourge of road traffic crashes in Nigeria.

This move demonstrates the government’s commitment to enhancing road safety and reducing the alarming rate of road accidents in the country.

The strategic selection of Mohammed, a renowned specialist with a proven track record in tackling road traffic crashes, as the head of FRSC underscores the administration’s resolve to make meaningful impacts on road safety and sets the stage for achieving this critical objective.

The achievements of the FRSC in its enforcement and sensitisation campaigns over the past seven months of his tenure are no coincidence; they demonstrates the effectiveness of its current leader.

Mohammed has been instrumental in the Corps’ impressive track record, showcasing his ability to drive meaningful change and improvement in road safety in Nigeria.

The significant progress made by the FRSC is a testament to his vision and commitment to reducing road traffic crashes and promoting road safety awareness.

Under his leadership, the Corps made significant strides in tackling road traffic crashes, with a renewed focus to rejig and reposition operational strategies to conform with present-day realities.

Other strides include training and retraining of staff to align with realistic expectations; Strategic partnerships with sister agencies, international organisations, and Special Marshals; Digital transformation in operations, harmonisation of the ranking structure, career progression, and provision of conducive environment for working.

The Corps has been spearheading efforts to address road safety concerns, diligently undertaking a range of critical activities including investigations, prosecutions, vehicle impoundments, arrests, and public awareness campaigns to educate the public and promote behavioural change.

Notable among the achievements of the FRSC in the last seven months is the launch of its Mobile Application and National Crash Reporting Information System, (NACRIS), to verify drivers licence, number plates, and detect speed among others.

The app also provided services such as eye witness report, emergency reports, black spot, National traffic radio, speed limiter verification, driving school standardisation scheme verification, reminder for drivers licence, and vehicle paper renewal, and emergency contacts.

Speaking at the launch of the App, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Sen. George Akume, said that the launch of the digital platforms would raise awareness and sensitise drivers and passengers to the potential causes of road traffic crashes.

Akume said that it also marked a giant stride in the effort of the corps at implementing policies and creating a safer motoring environment by reducing crash-related injuries and deaths on the highways.

He commended the FRSC for its efforts in aligning with one of the cardinal objectives of the renewed hope agenda, targeted at digital transformation and economic growth of the nation.

In his words, the FRSC Corps Marshal said the mobile app is a software application that can be used to alert the corps on sensitive road safety issues through programmed features such as assisted speeding, dangerous driving, verifying vehicle documents, among others.

He said that the proper application of these features was expected to drastically reduce injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic crashes.

On Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in Nigeria, the FRSC Corps Marshal said that the Corps recorded a 12.8 per cent reduction between January and October 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

Mohammed said that the decrease was a testament to the FRSC’s commitment to improving road safety in Nigeria while highlighting the corps’ efforts to enhance road safety and reduce the number of crashes on Nigerian roads.

He said that the Corps had set an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths by five per cent every year, aligning with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.

The FRSC boss said that the Corps’ commitment to enhancing road safety underscored the FRSC’s dedication to protecting Nigerian lives on the roads.

“FRSC’s efforts to reduce road crashes are in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030.

“The number of crashes decreased from 8,654 in 2023 to 7,675 in 2024, representing a 12.8 per cent reduction.

“Also, between January and October 2023, the corps recorded 25,126 injuries and fatalities, while the same period in 2024 saw a decrease to 24,525, representing a 2.5 per cent reduction,”he said.

The Corps Marshal has also demonstrated a strong commitment to the welfare and training of FRSC personnel.

Under his leadership, the Corps has invested heavily in the training and retraining of its personnel, equipping them with the skills and knowledge required to effectively enforce traffic laws and respond to emergencies.

Within seven months as Corps Marshal, Mohammed initiated the promotion of no fewer than 1,645 officers to their next ranks and upgraded 238 marshals to the rank of Superintendent Route Commander (SRC).

Mohammed explained that the promotion and upgrade were part of the Corps’ efforts to boost staff morale and productivity.

He also disclosed that 108 marshals were upgraded to the rank of Route Commander (RC), 407 to the rank of Deputy Route Commander (DRC), and 646 to the rank of Assistant Route Commander (ARC).

“You will recall that I made it clear that one of the key policy thrusts of my management team is to review and revive the welfare of staff. This is anchored on my conviction that welfare is a motivating factor for human resourcefulness,”he said.

As part of his restructuring efforts and ensuring safety during the Yuletide season, the Corps Marshal deployed the entire workforce including Special Marshals to the highways to ensure hitch-free movement as commuters travel from one destination to another across the nation.

He said that the deployment was in commemoration of the ’ember months’ special patrol operations, adding that the Corps’ had commenced its annual 30-day end-of-the-year special operation slated for Dec.15, 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025.

The theme for the 2024 ‘Ember Months’ Campaign is “Speak Up Against Dangerous Driving: Crashes Kill More Passengers than Drivers”. The campaign’s goal is to encourage the public to speak up against reckless driving and promote safe road practices.

According to him, there will be ambulances and officers on 24-hour duty to attend to emergencies during the operation.

“All roadside clinics and rest areas have also been activated and the Corps will increase its visibility in high-volume traffic corridors to enable travelers to reach their destinations on time.

“Over 200 mobile courts would be in session to prosecute traffic offenders across the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory.

“Also, more technological equipment, including body cameras and FRSC mobile apps, have been deployed to provide real-time updates on traffic situations and monitor the conduct of personnel during the special operation,” he said.

Owing to the strategic intervention mechanisms introduced towards ensuring safety on the highways, the FRSC boss led the end-of-year monitoring exercise to assess traffic situations in some parts of the North Central, South west, and South -South regions.

The exercise is aimed at ensuring a safe motoring environment for commuters and travelers during the yuletide season and the special patrol operations were targeted at ensuring zero fatalities and injuries during the end of the year travels.

The Corps Marshal, also embarked on a strategic monitoring of traffic situation on the highways, specifically on the Abuja -Lokoja-Okene-Akure-Agbor-Asaba-Onitsha passageways due to the high vehicular movement on that route during the yuletide season between Dec. 22 and Dec. 25, 2024.

In a bid to ensure stakeholders join forces with the Corps, Mohammed also met with traditional rulers and Governors to seek support on achieving the FRSC’s mandate during the strategic monitoring.

During such meetings, he maintained that the traditional rulers were critical stakeholders for the country to have a good driving culture and appealed for more collaboration in reducing carnage on the highway.

He met with the Olowo of Owo land, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin – Ogunoye 111, in Owo, Ondo state, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo state where he highlighted the relevance of stakeholders in addressing road traffic crashes in the country.

To ensure smooth vehicular movement at the Asaba inter change, on Dec. 24, the FRSC corps marshal, the Anambra State Sector Commander, Joyce Alexander and Delta State Sector Commander, Fredrick Ogidan controlled traffic for over three hours.

This is to enable travellers reach their destination safely and on time.

In spite of these successes, Mohammed acknowledges that there is still much work to be done. He has called on all stakeholders to join hands with the FRSC in the quest to make Nigerian roads safer.

According to him, road safety is a collective responsibility that requires the input and cooperation of all road users.

“We cannot do it alone. We need the support and cooperation of all road users to achieve our goal of making Nigerian roads safer,” he said.

The road to winning the war against road traffic crashes in Nigeria is long and challenging. However, with the FRSC’s efforts and the support of other critical stakeholders, there is hope that Nigeria can make its roads safer for all users.(NANFeatures)

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).