The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Malam Shehu Mohammed, has emphasised the need for smart road infrastructure to improve road safety in Nigeria.
Mohammed said this in his keynote address at a breakfast meeting organised by FRSC in partnership with Business Day Newspaper on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the meeting was aimed at stimulating conversations on how smart road infrastructure could improve road safety in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event is “Smart Road Infrastructure and Commuters’ Right to Safe Journeys,”
The corps marshal said that the meeting also aligned with the FRSC ongoing “Ember Months” campaign, focused on empowering commuters to know their rights and speak out against reckless driving.
This, he said was through the instrumentality of the recently launched FRSC Mobile Application.
“There is no doubt that this breakfast meeting will offer a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to exchange ideas on the roles of smart road infrastructure.
“This will also help in reducing road traffic crashes as well as addressing the persistent challenges that compromise highway safety, “he said.
Mohammed said that road transportation was the most used means of transportation in Nigeria, adding that smart roads could significantly reduce road traffic crashes.
He also said that safety was a fundamental right adding that it was essential for the attainment of good health, peace, justice and socio-economic well-being of the general public.
“However, this does not necessarily mean that all road users understand the implications of such a recognition.
“There is no doubt that road transportation is the most used means of transportation in Nigeria. This is because it remains the most accessible, available, reliable and most interconnected transport system.
“It is also relied upon for facilitating trade, investments and other services as well as the most affordable and accessible mode with the attendant consequence of over-dependence for most services especially door-to door businesses.
“Interestingly, Smart Roads through the use of technology continues to have a profound impact on how we live and interact with our environment.
“These innovative roadways go beyond traditional infrastructure, representing a leap into the future where roads become intelligent, interactive, and capable of enhancing our daily lives in numerous ways, “he said.
Mohammed, who maintained that Smart roads, also known as intelligent or connected roads, added that it was a futuristic vision of smart road infrastructure that incorporated cutting-edge technologies to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
He said “with new pressures for cities to develop more effective roadways and highways, smart infrastructure is essential for modernisation.
“These devices that enable smart road technology among others include: speed sensors, acoustic sensors, IP CCTV cameras, smart traffic lights, E-tolling condition, weather monitoring systems, and digital signage.
“They help cities adapt long-term sustainable transportation needs by improving congested roadways, streamlining traffic flow as well as improved services and emergency response,”he said.
Mohammed noted that Nigeria had responded actively to the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2030) through initiatives like the National Road Safety Advisory Council (NARSAC).
He added that the FRSC had also launched impactful policies and programmes, earning Nigeria recognition as a road-safety-conscious nation.
The corps marshal appreciated stakeholders, including the media, for their support and urged continued collaboration to make Nigeria roads safer, smarter, and more accessible.
In his goodwill message, AIG Benneth Igweh, in charge of Zone 7, called for more synergy between other security sister agencies.
Igweh said that the force had discovered that one agency could not control or manage traffic in Nigeria adding that traffic offences had been on the increase lately.
He advocated for use of drones in curbing road crashes saying that it would help in monitoring accidents prone areas and other places for road safety.
“I commend the agencies for organising this event. The ember months safety campaign should also include that of the security because that is the begining of the whole trouble.
“We need to have a synergy with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to address alcohol consumption and drugs management among drivers and motor parks.
“You need to also include the use of drones in curbing road crashes as it will help you in your activities,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof. Yusuf Suberu, National Coordinator, FCT Squadron Leader, Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) Mayors of the Federation, said that the use of technology would go a long way in addressing road crashes in Nigeria.
Suberu said that the smart road Infrastructure would also enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability adding that it integrated technology for realtime monitoring and management.
“With smart road infrastructure, road traffic crashes can be reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria, “he said.
The corps unveiled the 2024 “Ember Months” sensitisation campaign, themed “Speak Up against Reckless Driving: Crashes Kill more Passengers than Drivers, group photographs, panel discussions among others.
