Stakeholders in the transportation sector have called for a more robust strategy to ensure that Nigerian roads are safe for citizens within the country.
The stakeholders who gathered at the 10th anniversary and second yearly Nigeria automotive industry award of Automobiles and Road Safety Initiative, a nongovernmental organisation on road safety, in Lagos, extended support for its mission of ensuring safety on Nigerian roads.
Highlighting the Initiative’s decade-long commitment to promoting safety, the Chairman of the Initiative, Samuel Oriowo, emphasized the need for financial backing to continue its crucial work.
“We seek the support of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), under the leadership of Corps Marshal Dauda Biu, to advocate for annual funding allocation to the organization from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which oversees the FRSC,” he said.
Oriowo said the board of the organisation discovered that a reasonable percentage of the current automobile repair/ maintenance technicians in the country are aging and are not adequately equipped; education-wise to embrace and acquire the requisite latest automotive technology and developments to be properly fit to function as repairers of modern automobiles that nowadays come with sophisticated brain boxes.
While speaking on emerging automobile technology and road safety concerns, Lagos Sector Commander, FRSC, Babatunde Farinloye, said emerging automobile technology includes advancements in electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving, connected cars and sustainable efforts.
He said FRSC plays a pivotal role in ensuring road safety across Nigeria and it recognizes the evolving landscape of automobile technology as both an opportunity and a challenge in its mission to protect lives and property on the roads.
Farinloye, who was represented by an officer, Paul Abiti, said FRSC will work closely with relevant stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive regulatory frameworks for autonomous and connected vehicles, ensuring safety, data protection and adherence to international standards.
He said FRSC will enhance its data collection and analysis capabilities to monitor the safety performance of emerging technologies and identify areas for improvement in real-time.
He added that the corps will also identify trends and areas with high road traffic crash rates. This data-driven approach helps in the development of targeted interventions.
However, he said the emergence of automobile technology presents a unique opportunity to significantly improve road safety in Nigeria. He said: “The FRSC remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding lives on our roads. Our agency is dedicated to adapting to these technological advancements and ensuring that road safety concerns are addressed effectively. Together, with the support of stakeholders and the Nigerian public, we can create safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly roads for our nation.”
Dean, School of Engineering Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Dr Dauda Folarin, said the automotive industry is a crucial contributor to economic development and serves as a fulcrum for industrialisation of countries in the world.
Folarin said the sector covers transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, defense and power generation. Its design, manufacture and sales drive economic growth and provide employment opportunities and significant export potential. He said Nigeria’s government has recognised the importance of the automotive industry, identifying it in the country’s Industrial Revolution Plan (NIPR) as a way to rebuild the economy.
According to him, the government should provide training and retraining of skilled and unskilled personnel through workshops on procedures and market opportunities for automotive products in Nigerian markets.
He said the government must collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps to establish awareness and safety information on national and international best practices for reducing automobile accidents on roads.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, commended the organizers for their relentless efforts in promoting safety among drivers. The Commissioner was represented by the Director for Public Transportation and Commuter Safety, Abel Adebayo.
The commissioner acknowledged Oriowo’s dedication to contributing to the government’s objectives rather than seeking assistance. He said the state government is committed to safe transportation within the metropolis with a multimodal transport system already in place for commuters.
