Federal Government says it will provide the necessary support for any innovations aimed at reducing the increasing number of road accidents in the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume, stated this during the launch of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC mobile app in Abuja.
The SGF explained that the app was designed to digitalize FRSC operations for effective traffic management.
Senator George Akume, who described the current rate of accidents as a great concern to the present administration, urged the FRSC management to involve stakeholders in the implementation of the app to monitor motorists and curb the excesses of FRSC officers and personnel.
The Chairman, House Committee on Road Safety, Abiodun Adeshida, said the National Assembly was ready to review the 2007 Federal Road Safety Corps Act for more efficient service delivery.
The Kenyan Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Parashina said African countries have a lot to learn from the FRSC’s experience in addressing the high rate of road crashes across the continent.
According to the Ambassador, Africans must come together and provide homegrown solutions to address road safety challenges.
The Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps, Mallam Shehu Mohammed, stated that the innovation was part of efforts to align with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on the use of the new technology to strengthen the commitment of road users and enhancing road safety operations.
Mallam Shehu Mohammed said the corps would embark on aggressive sensitization in all motor parks and town hall meetings for stakeholders to key into the new technology.
The Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Dr. Mohammed Bulama, expressed confidence that the newly introduced technology would bring sanity to Nigerian roads.
Dr Bulama commended FRSC management for the new operational initiative and pledged FRCN’s continued support to every program to reduce death and enhance economic activities in the country.
The Acting President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Alhaji Isa Ore said leaders in the transport sector would contribute to the success of the application in saving lives on the highway.
Other stakeholders in the transport sector promised to support FRSC in enforcing traffic laws and protect lives and property on Nigerian roads.
According to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS), there were 22,967 traffic crashes in Q2 2023, which represents an 8.56% increase from the previous quarter, totaling 21,733 crashes, but reflects a 9.60% decrease from the 26,282 crashes reported in Q2 2022.
More crashes, serious incidents were prevalent in Q2 2023, with 1,919 cases, compared to 756 fatal cases and 292 minor ones.
In total, 1,120 males were killed in Q2 2023, making up 79.48% of the 1,409 individuals who lost their lives, compared to 289 females, who accounted for 20.51% of the fatalities.
Additionally, 6,430 males were reported injured during this period, representing 76.76% of the total 8,377 injured individuals, while 1,947 females comprised 23.24% of the injured.
RN
