Shettima Inaugurates National Road Safety Council

Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council, NARSAC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He charged the council to align with global best practices in reducing road crashes and to ensure coordination between federal, state, and local governments in achieving road safety goals.

Senator Shettima praised the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC for its commitment and urged the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to implement reforms recommended by the World Bank.

The Vice President also emphasized the council’s role in setting targets and strengthening the nation’s road safety strategy, noting its importance to national development.

Speaking with newsmen after the inauguration, the Corps Marshal, called for stakeholders’ collaboration to reduce road crashes and promote safety on Nigerian roads.

While emphasising the need for collective action, Mallam Shehu Mohammed said the Corps had increased campaigns in motor parks and public places to promote a safe driving culture across the country.

He said that there was need for commuters and transport unions to partner in preventing road crashes and ensuring safer travels at all cost.

“We will continually visit motor parks to dissuade drivers from taking alcohol or any substance capable of affecting their moods and psyches”

“We will also go to the grassroots to engage the traditional rulers and community leaders on ways to educate their people on measures to take to avoid road crashes”.

The Corps Marshal urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to adhere to traffic rules, avoid overloading, and refrain from using phones while driving and other factors bedeviling road safety in the country.

Mallam Shehu Mohammed believed that the inauguration of NARSAC marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s road safety management, paving the way for the swift implementation of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS).

The FRSC boss, who doubled as the secretary of the advisory council described the strategy as the country’s answer to the global call for safer roads, aiming to reduce the alarming number of road crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

“In essence, the NARSAC establishment is a crucial step towards achieving the NRSS’s objectives, which include improving road design standards, enhancing non-motorised transport initiatives, and strengthening road safety frameworks.

“With the council’s guidance, FRSC can move closer to realising its vision and mission of safer roads and reduced fatalities across the country”.

The NARSAC includes six governors, key ministers, and other stakeholders, with a focus on reducing road fatalities across the country.

Kayode Oyedare, Edited By Grace Namiji