Nigerian Road Safety News

February 2008

In 2008, the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) celebrates its 20th anniversary. To commemorate this event, the FRSC is organising a Road Safety Week from Friday 15 to Thursday 21 February in Abuja. It also plans to organise a two-day International Conference with the theme: “Road Safety Management in Africa: Vision 2020 on 18 and 19 February 2008.

December 2007

The Make Roads Safe recommendations for safer road design were presented at a meeting of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) attended by leading G8 donors.  Delegates heard a joint presentation by David Njoroge, Africa’s representative on the Commission for Global Road Safety and David Ward, Director General of the FIA Foundation. They highlighted the urgent need for action to reduce road traffic injuries in Africa which has the world’s most dangerous road network with a fatality rate of 28 per 100,000 population.

October 2007

Over 30 people were killed after a road tanker overturned and caught fire on the Lagos to Ibadan highway. The fire engulfed three buses and several cars.

June 2007

Osita Chidoka has been appointed the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), becoming the third individual to hold this post.

May 2007

School pupils in Lancashire, England are being encouraged by the County Council’s Road Safety Group to team up with their counterparts in Nigeria in the global fight against road casualties.

April 2007

United Nations Global Road Safety Week 2007

Nigeria is running a wide range of activities and events to mark UN Global Road Safety Week next month.  Global Road Safety Week will officially run from 23 to 29 April 2007.

World Youth Assembly Declaration on Road Safety

On 23 April, young people from more than one hundred countries gathered at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, for the first ever World Youth Assembly for Road Safety and to mark the first UN Global Road Safety Week.  In the Youth Declaration for Road Safety agreed by delegates to the Assembly, all 400 young people committed to taking practical measures to improve road safety and called upon other young people to do the same.  The delegates pledged to wear seatbelts and motorcycle helmets and to avoid speeding and drink-driving.

Lanarkshire Council Teams with PATVORA

During the global road safety week, Lanarkshire Council's road safety team joined forces with PATVORA (Prompt Assistance to Victims of Road Accidents) in Nigeria to distribute copies of the council's Road Safety Game to schools.

Federal Road Safety Commission Web Site - New URL

The URL of the official site of the Federal Road Safety Commission has changed to http://www.frsc.gov.ng/

February 2007

Multiple Deaths in Lorry Accident

Dozens have been killed or injured in an accident on the Funtua-Bimin Gwari road in Katsina State.  The accident was caused by a blow-out of a lorry's front tyre.  The lorry was packed full of traders and domestic animals.  In January 2007 over thirty people were killed in a similar accident in Yobe State.

December 2006

Dr. Eme Owoaje of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria is one of the designated investigators for the Road Traffic Injuries Research Network's study into 'Non-Standard Helmet Use'.

October 2006

FRSC 'Ember' Months Campaigns

This year's 'ember' months road safety campaigns are now well and truly underway.  Traditionally, in Nigeria, a higher incidence of accidents is experienced during the final months of the calendar year.  The Federal Road Safety Commission has reported that the primary causes of accidents during this period are road indiscipline, overloading, impatience, drunkenness, discourtesy to other road users and incorrectly maintained vehicles.  During this period, when the roads tend to be more busy, the FRSC is encouraging drivers to consider whether their trips are really needed or whether, for example, they could transact their business on the telephone.

Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme

The FRSC has reported that the Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme (RTSS) that provides standards for the operation of fleet transport operators and guidelines for night trips has reduced the numbers of accidents involving luxury buses except for accidents caused by armed robbers.

September 2006

Twenty people were reported to have been killed when a bus collided with a truck on the the Lokoja-Abuja road.  Local officials blamed the bus driver for causing the incident by running into an oncoming truck while attempting overtake another vehicle.

August 2006

The FRCS carried out a 5-day road safety campaign on Lagos roads.  Read more about Operation 'Linestorm' in an article published in the Daily Sun.  The operation targeted a range of issues including:

• Adherence to speed limits
• Removal of obstructions on highways
• Seat belt use
• Arrest of under-aged and drunk drivers
• Removal of extra headlights
• Enforcement of lane discipline
• Cell phone use
• Overloading
• Impounding of vehicles with right-hand steering