The Joint National Transport Safety Committee of Nigeria (JNTSCN) has endorsed the transport reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu, while unveiling a nationwide Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) training scheme and a Mandatory First Aid Kit Compliance Programme targeting commercial transport operators.

The initiative was formalised during a meeting in Abuja between the committee and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi. Led by its National Executive Chairman, Taiwo Oluwadamilare Mogbojuri, the committee confirmed what it described as full governmental backing for the programme.

The scheme will focus on commercial transport operators, haulage firms and truck drivers nationwide. It is designed to address persistent transport-related accidents, occupational injuries and emergency response gaps, even as the country records ongoing investment in roads, rail and logistics corridors.

Speaking at the meeting, Mogbojuri emphasised that infrastructure renewal must be complemented by operational safety standards.

“Nigeria has witnessed remarkable infrastructural renewal under the Renewed Hope Agenda, but infrastructure must be matched with safety practices that protect lives and commerce,” he said.

According to the committee, the National Transport Health and Safety Training will include modules on occupational safety, defensive driving techniques, hazard recognition, emergency response protocols and compliance with mandatory first aid kit requirements. Drivers and transport managers are expected to undergo certification, with periodic compliance audits built into the framework.

Dingyadi described the programme as a strategic step toward reducing the human and economic toll of transport accidents.

“This collaborative initiative reflects the Federal Government’s pledge to protect lives, enhance workforce preparedness and strengthen national health and safety frameworks. Through structured training and mandatory first aid compliance, we can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of transport-related casualties,” he said.

A joint communiqué issued after the meeting indicated that implementation will involve broad stakeholder engagement. Partners are expected to include the National Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), transport unions, employer associations, private haulage companies, worker representative bodies, insurance providers and emergency health institutions.

Under the compliance component, all commercial vehicles will be required to carry standardised first aid kits meeting defined specifications. The aim, according to JNTSCN, is to improve first-response capacity on highways and within urban transport networks, where delays in emergency care often worsen casualty outcomes.

Industry observers note that while Nigeria has made visible strides in upgrading transport infrastructure, safety practices across segments of the sector remain uneven. Strengthening training standards and enforcing compliance requirements could help reduce preventable fatalities and injuries, particularly within the commercial transport and haulage subsectors.

The committee concluded that safer operations must accompany infrastructure expansion if transport is to fully support sustainable economic growth. By aligning workforce training with national development priorities, JNTSCN says the programme seeks to build a more resilient transport ecosystem capable of protecting both lives and commerce.