Tinubu, Dongban-Mensem, Oshiomhole Demand Urgent Action to End Africa’s Road Carnage

•President back private-sector-led trauma response centre

Folalalum Alaran in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for urgent continental action to end the rising epidemic of road crashes across Africa, describing the deaths and injuries as a “silent epidemic” that steals lives and potential.

Represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, President Tinubu’s message was delivered at the International Road Crash Victims Africa Conference (IRCVAC) 2025, organized by the Kwapda’as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and international partners.

Themed “Gathering Africa and the World for Road Crash Victims,” the conference brought together survivors, African policymakers, private-sector leaders, and global road-safety advocates in Abuja to develop strategies aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities.

President of the Court of Appeal and KRSD Founder, Hon. Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, said her initiative was inspired by personal loss after her son died in a road accident.

“I realised that government alone cannot do everything. The trauma sector should be private-sector driven, built on collaboration and compassion,” she said.

President Tinubu said road crashes remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with over 1.1 million fatalities and 15 million injuries reported annually by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Nigeria alone, more than 5,000 crashes and 1,593 deaths occurred in the first quarter of 2025, a 3.9 percent increase over the same period in 2024.

“It is doubtful that any Nigerian family has not been touched by the tragedy of a road crash,” the President said. “Many survivors live with permanent disabilities, while families endure the lifelong grief of losing loved ones.”

He affirmed that his administration would continue to prioritise safer highways, road expansion, and alternative transport systems, including railways and waterways.

He also commended the KRSD Foundation’s plan to establish a private-sector-led trauma response centre as a “vital complement to existing government facilities.”

“Let this conference mark a turning point where words are matched with decisive action to achieve zero road fatalities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dongban-Mensem announced that the federal government had allocated land for the Kwapda’as Trauma Response Centre, which will serve as an emergency coordination hub.

“Even if we start with one room, it will be equipped with telephones so anyone witnessing a crash can call and get help,” she said.
She urged African leaders to enact enforceable, modern road-safety laws and ensure accountability.

“Victims are not beggars; they are people rendered helpless by the recklessness of others. We need responsive hospitals, effective insurance, and laws that protect citizens,” she stressed.

Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, reinforced the call for strict enforcement and accountability, warning that impunity fuels road deaths in Nigeria.

“Too often, people drive against traffic or cause deadly accidents without consequence simply because of who they are,” he said. “The law must apply equally to everyone. No Nigerian should be above the law.”

Oshiomhole recounted a personal tragedy: several friends died in a road crash while returning from his son’s wedding. “Among those who died were young graduates and breadwinners who left behind widows and children struggling to survive,” he said.

He called for a review of Nigeria’s outdated 1988 Road Safety Act, stricter driver testing, vehicle inspections, and fully functional emergency clinics along highways.

“Many victims bleed to death because help never arrives,” he lamented. “Government must ensure quick-response teams and visible road signage across major routes.”