In the quest for faster and more effortless means of transportation, came the advent of motorized transportation as a means of movement and occasioned by devastating consequences such as road crashes.
Such road crashes have often resulted in deaths and disabling injuries, with devastating impact on national health, social economic and development growth of Nigeria.
Reports have confirmed that up to 5% of Nigeria’s GDP is lost from consequences of road crashes, an equivalent of N9 trillion lost to road crashes annually, with a more worrisome fact that about 90% of the crashes are preventable by appropriate actions of the government, it’s agencies and the Nigeria road users.
Boss Mustapha, Secretary to The Government, in his speech at the commemoration of the 5th United Nations Global Road Safety week said the Federal Road Safety Corps an agency of the government backed by law and requisite power to regulate, enforce, and manage road safety issues in the country is receiving the greatest attention from the government.
He explained that several efforts such as diversification of other means of transportation like the rail, inland-waterways and air transportation have been put in place through several ongoing projects.
” Government has developed policies to ensure that only vehicles that meet the standard are the only vehicles imported into the country and should ply Nigerian roads.
” Relevant agencies of the government like the Nigerian Customs Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, Automotive Council of Nigeria, and the Directorate of Traffic Services (VIO) are empowered by law to ensure only safer vehicles ply our roads,”
He reiterate that the Nigeria Government is committed to implementing the 5pillars of Decade of Action, and has setup the National Advisory Council on Road Safety (NARSAC) chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and other stakeholders to ensure full implementation and monitoring of the activities in the various pillars of the Decade of Actions.
Similarly speaking, Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of State for Health, said the consequences of road crash are large, as it affects the victims, the family and the wider society. Aside the persons that are killed by crashes, a lot more are permanently disabled.
” There has been a loss of the initial gains achieved at the beginning of the Decade of Action declared by the United Nations from 1.25 million in 2011 to 1.35 million deaths annually in 2018. The reported fatality from road crash in Africa is 26.6 deaths per 100,000 population which is the highest in the world,”
He explained that there are wide discrepancies between the reported data on road crashes in Nigeria and the WHO estimates, and said there is the need to improve the quality of data on road crashes in Nigeria.
“To this end, the FMOH chairs the National Auto Crash Reporting and Information System (NACRIS) which is an attempt to develop a harmonized, uniform data from all relevant stakeholders which will allow for proper planning and monitoring of interventions to curb the menace of road crashes,” said Ehanire
Ehanire further said, although prevention of road crashes is cheaper and the more pragmatic method of reducing adverse consequences of road crashes, adequate emergence preparedness is required for victims of road crashes since some crashes will still occur no matter what is done.
“To this end, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched the Emergency Medical Treatment Committee charged with the responsibility implementing the National Emergency Medical services and Ambulance Scheme (NEMSAS) responsible of providing prompt and quality emergency medical care to all Nigerians without recourse to the social status, ability to pay.
” A good proportion of such emergencies will be victims of road crashes. The Committee is currently formalizing the operational structure for service provision to all Nigerians,” Said Ehanire
Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps in his address said Leadership at all levels is key to achieving road safety targets, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.6 aimed at reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2020 and SDG target 11.2 to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all by 2030.
He said the goal of the Week is to generate a demand from the public for stronger leadership for road safety worldwide with the objectives to provide an opportunity for civil society to generate demands for strong leadership for road safety, especially around concrete, evidence-based interventions which will save lives, inspire leaders to take action by showcasing examples of strong leadership for road safety within governments, international agencies, NGOs, foundations, schools and universities, and private companies, among others.
The National Focal Person UN-Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention, Nigeria, Sydney Ibeanusi in his welcome address said the idea of Global road safety week is aimed to bring burning aspects and interventions on road safety that has been identified to reduce the ugly trend.
According to Sydney, the 5th UN Global Road Safety Week acknowledges that strong leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities and achieve related Sustainable Development Goal and other global targets.
He noted that the Theme of this year’s Program: Leadership in Road Safety demand that citizens should play a leadership role in whatever capacity they find ourselves as road users, as heads of our respective families, institutions, in community leaders, adding that The UNDARSIP Nigeria has extended its leadership role to the development of road safety in Africa.
Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman Iwuanyanwu Ambulance Foundation, called on the the federal government to include road safety as a course of study in the tertiary and secondary institutions in Nigeria.
He also called for improved funding of road safety, and adds that serious and meticulous test should be done before granting motor driving licences.
Oyin Aminu, Abuja
