Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s road safety measures.
He issued the directive during a meeting with the leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), led by Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday. The directive aims to tackle the country’s road safety challenges and significantly reduce accidents, according to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.
The Vice President expressed concern over the rising number of road accidents and emphasized the need to adopt modern technology and enforce stricter discipline to improve road safety.
“We need a holistic approach to solving our road safety issues. The entire system is not functioning as it should,” Shettima said, urging for “focused efforts to address our road challenges” in line with international standards, such as those in Dubai and the UK.
“In places like Dubai and the UK, they have systems in place to track traffic violators, capture their vehicle numbers, and directly deduct fines from their bank accounts. This encourages compliance with the law. We need to foster a culture of discipline in our nation,” he added.
Shettima also noted the FRSC’s role within Nigeria’s broader security framework, stating, “The FRSC’s work is linked to that of the Nigerian Police as part of the nation’s security apparatus.”
Highlighting successful initiatives in Enugu State, he remarked, “I was in Enugu yesterday, and the state government is doing an excellent job. The governor has implemented a security system that monitors the entire town and even the forests.”
In the coming days, Vice President Shettima is set to inaugurate the National Road Safety Advisory Council, tasked with reducing traffic accidents by half before 2030.