Nigeria has been ranked among the countries with the highest road traffic deaths in Africa, recording 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization?s (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023.

The figure was presented on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja jointly convened by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Kwapda?as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Foundation. Both organizations also disclosed plans to establish a trauma centre to support victims of road crashes and their families.

The briefing also served to announce the International Road Crash Victims? African Conference (IRCVAC) 2025, which will hold in November, coinciding with the KRSD Foundation?s 14th anniversary.

Founder of KRSD, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said the conference will be the first continental gathering dedicated to road crash victims and their families. She explained that the organization was established in 2011 after she lost her son in a crash and has since become a platform for advocacy through campaigns, outreaches, and school-based road safety programmes.

?Nigeria has one of the highest road traffic death rates in Africa and the world, at 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population,? Dongban-Mensem said, quoting the WHO report. ?This is not just a statistic?it means thousands of families are devastated every year. The figure is significantly higher than both the global and African averages.?

She added that the report highlights Nigeria?s need for a stronger national response to address key risk factors such as speeding, drunk driving, and non-use of seatbelts and helmets, in line with findings from the FRSC.

Citing official figures, she noted that the National Bureau of Statistics recorded 5,081 crashes in just three months of 2023, resulting in 2,466 deaths and over 15,000 injuries. She also referenced FRSC?s first quarter 2024 data, which showed 2,733 crashes, 1,624 deaths, and more than 8,000 injuries.

?IRCVAC 2025 is not just an event but a platform for victims and their families,? she said. ?It is about ensuring their experiences shape solutions and their voices drive advocacy, in line with the global Vision Zero and Safe Systems Approach, which declare that no road death is acceptable.?

FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, in his remarks, said road crashes cause about 1.2 million deaths worldwide annually, with women and children often bearing the heaviest impact.

He said the Corps is working with partners to establish a national trauma centre that would provide medical care and psychosocial support for survivors and bereaved families.

In the build-up to the November conference, organizers announced that symbolic pre-events, including a cycling rally, walking exercise, and golf tournament, would be held to raise awareness and promote safer road use. (The Guardian)

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