Vice-President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council (NaRSAC) with a charge on members to align with global best practices in reducing traffic crashes.

Mr Shettima, while inaugurating the council on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, emphasised the critical nature of road safety.

According to him, road safety is not merely a matter of policy but a critical part of the lifeline that connects the people of the nation.

He tasked the council to set National Road Safety Strategy targets and ensure effective coordination between federal, state, and local governments to achieve shared road safety objectives.

Mr Shettima commended the Federal Road Safety Corps’s (FRSC) commitment, noting that the Corps has “consolidated a robust strategy to address the nation’s road traffic challenges” in its relatively short existence.

”The establishment of NaRSAC aligns with recommendations from the World Bank Country Capacity Review, which identified areas for improvement in Nigeria’s road traffic administration and safety management.”

He urged FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to embrace the recommendations as “a catalyst for the much-needed reforms in this sector.”

He also commended the seamless coordination between federal and state executives, as well as various government agencies.

”This spirit of unity exemplifies the essence of working together for the common good,” he said.

Mr Shettima noted that the initiative is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to strengthen administrative capacities across government bodies.

“I am confident that this intervention will enhance our transportation system and contribute to sustainable economic growth in Nigeria,” he said.

He implored the newly inaugurated council members to set National Road Safety Strategy targets.

This, according to him, is with a view to ensuring coordination between the federal, state, and local governments in achieving our shared road safety objectives.

Earlier, the corps marshal, Mr Mohammed, who is also secretary of the advisory council, said the inauguration of the body opens a new vista in road safety management in the country.

He also said that the council would fast-track the implementation of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS), which is the country’s response to the call for safe use of the road.

He said the inauguration of the council underscores Mr Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of citizens on the roads.

Mr Mohammed noted that the implementation of the NRSS provides a clear direction towards achieving the vision for road safety, using the globally accepted “safe system approach” for managing road safety.

The corps marshal said that Nigeria now has an opportunity to reduce to zero deaths, the number of casualties recorded in road traffic crashes.

The vice-president is the council’s chairman, with membership included six governors, one representing each of the six geo-political zones.

Others are the ministers of transportation, works, health, justice, education, finance, environment, police affairs, interior, budget and economic planning, FCT, information labour and productivity.

Other members are the National Security Adviser, president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

(NAN)