The United Nations, UN and the World Health Organization, WHO have renewed the call for urgent action to address road safety challenges worldwide, setting an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030.
Dr. Sydney Ibeanusi, Nigeria’s focal person for the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety and Injury Prevention, emphasized that road safety should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of government authorities but as a shared duty among individuals, communities, civil society, and international institutions.
He referenced the 2023 WHO Global Road Safety Status Report, which noted that road traffic accidents claim nearly 1.19 million lives annually, with the heaviest toll in low- and middle-income countries.
In Nigeria, road fatalities remain high despite some recent improvements. Dr. Ibeanusi pointed out that urban areas, in particular, suffer from unsafe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
He stressed that traffic-related deaths continue to disproportionately affect the most economically vulnerable — especially those in their productive years who rely on walking, cycling, public buses, motorcycles, and tricycles.
He expressed concern over the growing frequency of severe accidents involving petroleum-laden trucks, calling them a public health emergency. According to him, road crashes have become not only a safety issue but a national development challenge that demands multidisciplinary solutions.
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Commending the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Dr. Ibeanusi noted its international recognition for innovative road safety strategies, including awards from the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco and the Kofi Annan Global Awards.
He urged the Nigerian government to adopt a systems-based approach to road safety — one that combines stricter law enforcement, improved infrastructure, reduced urban speed limits, and robust public awareness.
Also speaking at the event, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, represented by Dr. Mary Dewan, acknowledged the FRSC and various ministries and agencies for fostering multisectoral cooperation through the UNDARSIP initiative. She emphasized that road traffic injuries are driven by multiple factors and require a comprehensive, collaborative response.
Highlighting this year’s road safety theme, “Streets for Life: #MakeWalkingSafe #MakeCyclingSafe,” Dr. Mulombo said the campaign advocates for city planning and policies that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists. Safe walking and cycling, she noted, promote physical activity, enhance sustainability, and improve urban livability.
She further stressed that making these transport modes safe is essential not only for public health but also for achieving broader objectives like the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity.
According to Mulombo, the Decade of Action on Road Safety urges all sectors — including health, transport, and education — to work in unison to transform road systems into safe, accessible spaces for all, especially non-motorized users.
NAN
