by IKECHUKWU AGBAMEGBUE
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2025 Global Road Safety Week, the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC, Akwa Ibom State Sector Command, has stressed the need for collective efforts to make the campaign for safer road environment successful.
The Sector Commander, Mr Edward Odiete, who made the call in Uyo, stated that the theme for this year’s event is: “Streets For Life：Make Walking Safe, Make Cycling Safe‘’ calling for evidence-based measures to make walking and cycling safe.
Mr Odiete noted that the one week global event is aimed at creating public awareness on walking and cycling as essential elements of people’s daily activities in their movements across the globe and the need to create safer pathways for them.
He further disclosed that as the leading killer of young people aged between 5-29 years, it’s estimated that more than 1 out of every 4 deaths involve pedestrians and cyclists.
“Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of deaths and disabilities worldwide with nearly 1.2 million people killed and as many as fifty million people injured each year.”
The Sector Commander stressed that the week offers an opportunity to spur action at national and local levels to make walking and cycling safe, by highlighting concrete and specific interventions that can be taken by different stakeholders at the governmental, international agencies, civil society groups, businesses and school levels to promote and facilitate a shift to walking and cycling.
These, Mr Odiete said, will create healthier, greener, more sustainable and economically advantageous modes of transportation.
He noted that the Corps, as the lead agency for road traffic management and safety administration in Nigeria, has remained active in all local and international advocacies aimed at creating public awareness on road safety matters especially in promoting walking and cycling which is being done in collaboration with the Cycling Association of Nigeria.
The Sector Commander further revealed that activities to mark the one week event to include sensitisation walk and rally along major roads in the state, advocacy visits to schools fleet operators among others sensitize members of the public on need for collaboration to achieve the set goals in the country.
Source: IKECHUKWU AGBAMEGBUE, FRCN, Uyo
