The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have called for urgent action to curb road crashes.
They warned that it has become a silent pandemic claiming thousands of lives daily.
Todt spoke at the launch of the global road safety campaign in Lagos, titled “MakeSafetyStatement Nigeria Campaign.”
The campaign is backed by global figures such as football legends Didier Drogba and Ousmane Dembele, supermodel Naomi Campbell, musician Youssou N’Dour and others.
At the launch, Todt highlighted the scale of the crashes, lamenting that Africa bears one of the heaviest burdens, with more than 250,000 road deaths yearly, representing nearly one-quarter of global fatalities.
Nigeria alone, he said, records about 37,000 road deaths every year, averaging 100 lives lost daily.
He stressed the need for governments at all levels to provide stronger support to the FRSC.
“Road crashes are the second leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults in Nigeria. Every number has a name, every statistic has a story,” Todt said, urging African leaders to make road safety a national priority.
Ivory Coast football star Drogba said road safety is a personal and urgent concern, stressing that almost everyone has lost a loved one to road accidents.
“Road safety is something that kills our population, that kills our kids. I’m sure most of us here have someone who has died from a car accident or motorcycle accident. As an athlete, with the platform we created, I think it is important for me to be here and to bring all the stars you see on TV,” Drogba said.
He added that it is his responsibility as part of the family to spread the message and encourage Todt and the Corps Marshal for the work they do.
FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
He explained that the country has adopted the Safe System Approach, built on five pillars: safer speed, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash c According to him, Nigeria has established a National Road Safety Advisory Council chaired by the Vice President, with ministers, governors, and agencies working together to halve road crashes and fatalities by 2030.
“What we require from citizens is simple: obey traffic rules, avoid speeding, overloading, drunk driving, phone use while driving, and always wear helmets and seatbelts. If we do this collectively, we will save lives and meet the target,” Mohammed said.
Managing Director of JCDecaux, Mr Omoniyi Dada, who was represented by Ms Abimbola Gaga, said the campaign underscores the power of sustainable media to drive positive social impact.
According to her, the initiative, supported by JCDecaux since 2017 and in partnership with the UN since 2023, has already been deployed in more than 50 countries and translated into 30 languages.
