The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and engineering construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc., have agreed to enhance their collaboration to ensure road safety.

This decision followed the Corps’ recognition of the exceptional quality of work and unwavering standards maintained by the company over the years.

The FCT Corps Commander of the FRSC, Felix N. Theman, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the construction firm in Abuja where he led the board of management team from the Sector, highlighted the cordial working relationship that has flourished between Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and the FRSC in the FCT.

“With 28 years of experience in the Corps, I have had the privilege to closely collaborate with Julius Berger, particularly concerning the critical infrastructure projects they undertake across the nation,” he said.

The man emphasised the importance of roads in Nigeria’s economy, stating that no nation can progress without the necessary infrastructure to support its economy.

“Roads play a vital role in our daily lives. Julius Berger has distinguished itself through the quality of its work and the high standards it has maintained over the years,” he said.
He further noted that while Julius Berger is committed to delivering quality roads, bridges, and interchanges, it must always be remembered that the roads are for human use.

Stressing that Nigeria has not yet reached a point where vehicles drive themselves as people still operate the vehicles, he added: “This necessitates character, discipline, and patience on the roads. We must ensure that the beautiful roads built do not become sites of accidents due to reckless driving or disregard for traffic regulations.

“At the FRSC, we focus on enforcement, public education, advocacy, and providing guidance to enhance road safety.”

Theman praised Julius Berger’s support to the Corps over the years, saying that Julius Berger has been a supportive partner from the beginning. He recalled receiving traffic cones and reflective jackets donated by Julius Berger many years ago, which have contributed significantly to the agency’s efforts.

However, Julius Berger’s Director of Administration, Dr Abdulaziz Isa Kaita, while welcoming the FRSC FCT Commander and his team to the company, expressed the company’s commitment to enhancing road safety and fostering collaboration with the FRSC.

He said: “At Julius Berger, we view ourselves as partners in progress and are eager to continue our collaborations. We are proud of our reputation for quality, evidenced by the roads we have constructed in Abuja over the past 30 years.

“Recently, we received an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers as the best construction company in Nigeria, recognising our consistent quality.”

Kaita further highlighted innovations, such as the Cold Recycling Technology used on the Abuja-Kano Expressway, which received international recognition, saying that Julius Berger is known for its commitment to safety, having installed weight and speed-limiting devices in trucks, along with offering yearly driver certification exercises and defensive driving courses for drivers.

He added that the company is always ready to work with the Corps for safety on Abuja roads, emphasising that as a corporate citizen, Julius Berger’s core values include pragmatic collaboration with organisations that have and manifest Nigerian-friendly qualities.

“We are a fully owned Nigerian company with the core value of collaboration underlining our every action as long as such collaborating organisations identify with the Nigerian-friendly people,” Kaita said.

In a brief remark, Julius Berger’s Corporate Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager, Peter Drillingcourt, said Julius Berger had a good relationship with the FRSC in areas such as clearance of road crashes, among others, saying: “The company is aware of the need to collaborate with the FRSC for road safety, hence the very good relationship between the two organizations.

“We saw the challenges in prosecuting the road safety. So, we are investing a lot in the training and retraining of our drivers, especially in defensive driving.

“We have even introduced accident-free bonuses and yearly medicals for all our drivers to ensure the best performance in the discharge of their duties.”