By Majeed Salaam
Road safety has become an increasingly important public policy issue as countries seek to reduce preventable deaths, improve transport systems and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For Nigeria, strengthening road safety is not only about enforcing traffic regulations but also about improving infrastructure, embracing technology and aligning transport reforms with global best practices. The country’s participation at the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on Road Safety reflected its growing engagement in international efforts to make roads safer while advancing domestic reforms.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nominated the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UN High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety at the United Nations General Assembly Headquarters in New York.
The high-level meeting brought together Heads of State, ministers, policymakers and road safety experts to accelerate the implementation of global commitments aimed at reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030 under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Presenting Nigeria’s national statement on behalf of President Tinubu during the plenary session, Corps Marshal Mohammed reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening road safety governance through institutional reforms, technological innovation and strategic partnerships.
Speaking on the conference theme, ‘Scaling Up and Accelerating Implementation of Commitments to Halving Road Traffic Deaths and Injuries by 2030,’ the Corps Marshal said Nigeria remains committed to improving road safety in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He highlighted measures the federal government had undertaken to strengthen the operational capacity of the FRSC, including the deployment of technology-enabled enforcement systems, improved emergency response mechanisms and expanded public education campaigns aimed at reducing road crashes and fatalities.
The Corps Marshal also showcased Nigeria’s growing leadership in road safety across Africa.
He informed delegates that Nigeria recently launched the Nigeria Road Assessment Programme (NigeriaRAP) in partnership with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) to improve road infrastructure safety through the globally recognised Safe System Approach.
He further noted that Nigeria hosts the Secretariat of the African Association of Road Safety Lead Agencies (AARSLA), providing a continental platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and institutional capacity building in road safety management.
According to the Corps Marshal, Nigeria is also integrating road safety into its broader transport and environmental agenda through the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicles (EVs), while developing improved safety standards for heavy-duty vehicles and emerging transport technologies.
While acknowledging the progress already recorded, Corps Marshal Mohammed emphasised that achieving the global road safety targets will require stronger international cooperation.
He called for increased collaboration in areas such as intelligent traffic enforcement technologies, road infrastructure safety assessment, institutional capacity building and technology transfer.
The Corps Marshal urged development partners and the international community to deepen technical cooperation and support capacity-building initiatives that would accelerate progress towards shared global road safety objectives.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment, he stated that road safety remains a national priority under President Tinubu’s administration and pledged continued collaboration with international partners to build safer roads, save more lives and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
The UN High-Level Meeting, convened by the President of the UN General Assembly in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), adopted a Progress Declaration to guide global efforts towards achieving the target of halving road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. The conference also reviewed countries’ progress since the 2022 Political Declaration and the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2025.
Nigeria’s participation at the UN meeting reinforces its commitment to aligning national road safety reforms with global best practices. As the country continues to invest in safer infrastructure, technology-enabled enforcement, public education and regional cooperation, sustained implementation of these initiatives could contribute to reducing road fatalities, strengthening transport safety and supporting broader national development objectives.
