The Nigerian Red Cross Society has raised the alarm over Nigeria’s staggering road accident rates, revealing that the country accounts for nearly 200,000 of the two million annual road traffic deaths worldwide.
Speaking at the launch of the Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign on Thursday, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, cited data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report 2023, which ranks road traffic injuries as the ninth leading cause of death globally.
He stressed that Nigeria contributed nearly 10% of all road fatalities worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for decisive intervention.
Adeaga also pointed out that official figures grossly underestimated the true scale of Nigeria’s road safety crisis.
“Reported road accidents only tell part of the story. Estimates suggest that actual figures exceed official records by over 500%. This highlights the need for immediate and sustained action,” he said.
To combat the crisis, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, in partnership with Zenith Prudential Life Insurance Plc, has launched the Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign, aimed at raising awareness, promoting first aid skills, and advocating for responsible driving practices.
Adeaga emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative, which brings together key stakeholders, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
The campaign, first launched in December 2023 in Abuja, seeks to reduce road fatalities and improve driving culture across Nigeria.
“Road safety is not just the responsibility of authorities like the FRSC, LASTMA, VIO, or NRCS. It is a shared duty that requires the commitment of every road user. We must all take action to protect lives on our roads,” Adeaga stressed.
Echoing the urgency of the situation, Afolabi Lawal of Zenith Prudence Foundation noted that Africa has the highest road fatality rate globally, despite owning a small fraction of the world’s vehicles.
He lamented that despite efforts from organizations like the WHO, Ministry of Transport (MOT), and FRSC, road crashes continue to claim 1.35 million lives annually.
Lawal reaffirmed the Prudence Foundation’s commitment to tackling the crisis, stating that the Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign would equip communities with life-saving skills through education, advocacy, and hands-on training, starting from Lagos and expanding nationwide.
The Safe Steps Road Safety Campaign aims at reducing traffic accidents and fatalities in Nigeria sets to impact over 27,500 people, including transport workers, policymakers, and local communities.
The initiative, led by the Nigerian Red Cross Society in collaboration with Prudence Foundation, Prudential Zenith Life Insurance, and the Federal Road Safety Corps, seeks to enhance road safety awareness, train drivers in defensive driving, and equip first responders with life-saving skills.
The campaign will provide targeted educational programmes, focusing on defensive driving techniques and safe road practices for 15,000 commercial drivers, motorcycle riders, and logistics operators.
It will also train Red Cross volunteers and roadside rescuers in emergency first aid to improve accident response times.
Public awareness efforts will extend to 12,000 community members through mass media, including radio, television, billboards, and digital platforms. In addition, 500 key stakeholders, including government officials, transport unions, and policymakers, will be engaged to strengthen road safety policies and enforcement.
Activities under the initiative will include safe driving workshops designed to equip transport workers with defensive driving skills. Public awareness campaigns will use billboards, stickers, and digital platforms to spread road safety messages, while first aid training sessions will empower roadside responders with critical life-saving skills.
The campaign will also leverage radio and television to educate the public on road safety regulations and best practices. Furthermore, collaboration with government agencies and transport unions will focus on improving road safety laws and enforcement measures.
The initiative is supported by a coalition of organizations committed to road safety. Prudence Foundation is leading efforts to enhance community resilience, while Prudential Zenith Life Insurance is contributing through financial protection and social impact programmes.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society is spearheading first aid training and public safety advocacy. The Federal Road Safety Corps and the Ministry of Transport are providing road safety expertise and policy support, while transport unions and community stakeholders are playing a crucial role in driving behavioral change among road users.
The campaign is expected to significantly reduce road traffic accidents and fatalities in Lagos and beyond. It aims to promote safer driving habits among commercial transport workers, empower communities with first aid and emergency response skills, and improve public knowledge of road safety regulations.
With Nigeria ranking among the countries with the highest road accident rates, stakeholders emphasize that this initiative is essential to reversing the trend and saving lives.
