Federal Road Safety Corps sees 12 percent decline in fatal accidents during first quarter of 2026

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Nigeria recorded a 12 per cent reduction in road traffic crash fatalities in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, the Federal Road Safety Corps has said.

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The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this on Friday during the commemoration of the 2026 West African Road Safety Organisation Day in Abuja.

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Road traffic crashes remain a major public safety challenge in Nigeria and across Africa, with experts linking many accidents to speeding, poor road infrastructure, reckless driving and weak compliance with traffic regulations.

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According to the World Health Organisation, Africa records one of the highest road traffic fatality rates globally despite having a relatively low number of registered vehicles.

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Mohammed said although the reduction was encouraging, the situation remained worrying within the broader African context.

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He noted that Africa accounts for less than three per cent of the world’s registered vehicles but records more than 20 per cent of global road traffic fatalities.

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He added that most of the victims were productive citizens and breadwinners, stressing the need for urgent and coordinated interventions across the continent.

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The FRSC boss explained that the establishment of the West African Road Safety Organisation was aimed at promoting harmonised policies, joint enforcement strategies and the exchange of best practices among member states.

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According to him, road crashes continue to claim thousands of lives annually across West Africa despite being largely preventable.

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“Nigeria achieved 12 per cent reduction in Road Traffic Crashes and fatalities in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025. Yet, the statistics remain sobering.

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“Today’s theme, ‘From Ratification to Action; African Road Safety Charter’, is both timely and strategic.

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“The African Road Safety Charter represents our collective resolve as a continent to reverse the rising trend of road traffic deaths and injuries.

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“While many African nations, including Nigeria, have ratified this Charter, the real task before us now is translation of commitment into measurable action on our roads,” he said.

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Mohammed described road traffic injuries and crashes as a major global health and economic challenge.

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He said road crashes cause more than 1.5 million deaths and over 70 million injuries globally every year.

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“According to PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis and World Bank report (2023), RTC is responsible for about seven per cent loss of Gross Domestic Products in Nigeria,” he added.

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The corps marshal also revealed that the African Association of Road Safety Lead Agencies office was launched on May 5 to position Nigeria as the secretariat for lead road safety agencies in Africa.

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He said Nigeria had taken several steps since ratifying the African Road Safety Charter, including aligning its National Road Safety Strategy II (2021–2030) with the Charter’s provisions.

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Mohammed added that the FRSC had strengthened data management through the National Crash Information System, intensified public enlightenment campaigns, promoted the use of speed limiting devices and introduced the FRSC mobile app for real-time reporting.

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He also stressed the importance of sustained regional collaboration to reduce road traffic deaths across Africa.

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Representing the Ministry of Transportation, Deputy Director Abubakar El-Nafaty said every road crash death was one too many and called for stronger collaboration among African countries.

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He advocated increased investment in road safety education, stricter enforcement of traffic laws and improved road infrastructure.

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El-Nafaty commended WARSO and its partners for their efforts toward improving road safety across the region.

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In his remarks, FRSC Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics, Clement Oladele, urged policymakers to integrate the African Road Safety Charter into national laws and budgets.

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He also called on civil society organisations to intensify public awareness campaigns and urged the private sector to invest in safer transport systems and infrastructure.

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“Progress will not be measured by speeches or agreements signed, but by the reduction in road traffic fatalities and injuries across the region,” Oladele said.

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He expressed optimism that Africa could achieve the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety target of reducing road deaths by 50 per cent by 2030.

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