Nigerian Roads Ranked One Of The World’s Un-Safest .

I think its safe to say that the rate of Nigerian road accidents are contending with cancer and poverty as the leading cause of death!!!

In May 2011, The Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Osita Chidoka, quoted a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which had put Nigeria at 192 out of 193 countries with the world’s un-safest roads. Claiming 1.3m lives  and over 50 million people seriously wounded. According to Chidoka, if something radical was not done to rectify this situation, it could increase by 65 per cent between 2015 and 2020.



Last week at a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the UN Decade of Action Road Safety, The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that Nigeria loses 162 persons per 100,000 population annually to road accidents.

Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

He said Nigeria was ranked second out of 193 countries in the world in terms of fatality from road traffic accidents.

``This figure is projected to rise by 65 per cent, if nothing is done.Road traffic accident has led to the death of men, women, boys and girls and even the unborn child, imparts negatively on our ability to achieve the MDGs, as most people affected are the youth. ’’
The minister said that most road traffic crashes were caused by human error such as drinking while driving, bad roads, over speeding, and disobedience to traffic rules.
Chukwu said there was the need to educate the public on road safety practices.
The Director of Special Projects in the ministry, Dr Mike Arene, who represented the minister, called for a halt to road accident in order to reduce infant and maternal mortality.
The minister said as part of effort to address road accidents, the Federal Government had strengthened trauma centre in the six geopolitical zones and also strengthen the capacity of the National Blood Transfusion Services.
Chukwu said the ministry of health initiated the integration of national emergency ambulance services for accident victims.
However, it was reported that the UN Decade of Action Road Safety was launched in Nigeria in May 11, 2011 by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The road safety was initiated by the United Nations in collaboration with WHO to curtail incidence of road traffic collusion.