From Morocco.
Picture:FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed receiving an award at the 1st African Congress in Morocco presented by the President of the Africa Union of Transport and Logistics Organisation Mr. Mustapha Chaoune during the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Malam Shehu Mohammed, has emphasized the need for Africa to prioritize robust road safety measures to protect lives and property.
He made this statement at the 1st Congress of the African Union of Transport and Logistics Organisations on Tuesday in Tangier, Morocco.
In recognition of FRSC’s critical role in road safety management across West Africa, Mohammed was honored with an award as the leader of the Nigerian delegation.
The award was presented by Mustapha Chaoune, President of the Africa Union of Transport and Logistics Organisation, during the opening ceremony.
Mohammed stressed the importance of effective transportation infrastructure and urged African nations to make road safety a top priority. He highlighted the relevance of the event’s theme, “Building Sustainable Logistics Chains for Africa’s Structural Transformation,” in line with global trends in urban transportation.
He stated, “For an effective transportation system, we need interconnected infrastructure to ensure dynamic and sustainable mobility of people and goods. This vision enhances regional integration, especially in road transport safety.”
Addressing the challenges faced by Africa’s road transport system, Mohammed noted that road crashes, resulting in significant casualties and destruction of goods, remain a recurring problem on African roads.
In response, the United Nations has urged African countries to develop national road safety plans. Nigeria has followed suit with its Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) document, aiming to reduce road crash-related deaths and injuries by 5% by 2030.
Mohammed also explained FRSC’s dual approach to road safety, focusing on public awareness and the enforcement of traffic laws.
“Enforcing traffic laws and penalizing offenders has proven to be a major deterrent, improving road safety,” he said.
He said that Nigeria has acceded to the United Nations Road Safety Convention and domesticated key road safety legal instruments.
As part of these efforts, Mohammed mentioned FRSC’s proposal for a dedicated Road Safety Fund (RSF) to integrate safety into project planning and implementation.
Mohammed expressed optimism that discussions at the Congress would open new opportunities for African countries to collaborate on developing cost-effective transport logistics systems that promote economic growth and socio-cultural integration, with road safety as a key component.
Representatives from 37 African countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Morocco, the host, South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, Benn, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Cote d’ivoire, Nigeria, Mauritius, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso.
They pledged their support for road safety initiatives and emphasized the need to prioritize the protection of lives and property on the continent’s roads.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
