NArSAC and the gains of streamlining road safety administration in tandem with global expectations: The Shehu Mohammed perspective

Time and time about, the Federal Road Safety Corps has proven to be capable of delivering on its corporate mandate. From the leadership of the ISO certified public service agency, to its operatives, the Corps has continued to show that it has all it takes to make the nation’s highways safe for all to use.

Today, I join the entire community of road users in celebration of another giant leap achieved towards attaining the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on reducing road traffic fatalities by 50% by year 2030. A feat that has in all areas portrayed a demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This giant strides speak volume of the administrative prowess of the present Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, who against all odds has continued to make indelible marks in the sand of time. The Corps Marshal has shown that it is indeed possible to achieve anything you set before you to achieve. He has unraveled the mystery behind the wheel of progress and made bold statements in the realisation of the corporate mandate of the Corps.

Recall that in an epoch making event of streamlining road safety management in Nigeria with global expectations, the entire nation witnessed with great deal of excitement, the official inauguration of Members of the National Road Safety Advisory Council (NaRSAC) by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. This inauguration formally unveils the responsibility of NaRSAC as encapsulated in the already developed plans of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy document II (2021-2030).

To most of us that do not understand how important this feat is to the transportation sector, I owe you a duty of explanation. To begin with, the National Road Safety Advisory Council (NaRSAC), is the highest critical governance structure saddled with the task of implementing the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030) document. Part of its responsibility is to give strategic policy direction and coordination to the other administrative organs like the Technical Working Group (TWG) and the States’ Road Safety Advisory Councils (SaRSAC). The membership of the Technical Working Group (TWG) is drawn from the FRSC and the State Governments States Motor Vehicle Administrators constituting State Traffic Management Agencies and Vehicle Inspection Offices. Other members of the TWG are the Police; relevant MDAs, Professional Associations, Women Union and the Media.

The NaRSAC itself is headed by His Excellency, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Membership is drawn from Six Governors, with one representing each of the six geo political zones;. Other members are Honourable Ministers in critical Ministries of Transport, Works, Health, Justice, Education, Finance, Environment, Police Affairs, Interior, Budget and Economic Planning, Federal Capital Territory, Information, Labour and Productivity. NaRSAC also have membership drawn from the National Security Adviser; Presidents of, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigerian Society of Engineers; The Chairman, Federal Road Safety Commission. The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps who serves as Member/Secretary.

The Advisory Council’s major responsibilities include meeting the National Road Safety Strategy target(s), effective co-ordination of the Federal, States and Local Governments to ensure that expected targets are achieved, anchor the implementation of the NRSS, as well as ensure adequate evaluation of outcomes of national road safety initiatives. They are to further ensure the development of a funding plan for strategic initiatives, source funding for implementation of strategic initiatives, plan out the disbursement of pre-approved funds, monitoring the disbursement of funds and review monitoring and evaluation reports. The Council may also perform other strategic functions as it deems fit to enhance round the clock road safety administration in Nigeria.

Let me carefully elaborate more on the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) document to bring to bare, a clearer understanding of the document being the catalyst that will drive the initiative to a joyful realisation. This NRSS document is simply the nation’s response to the call for safe use of the road. The document provides a clear direction towards achieving the vision for road safety, using the globally accepted Safe System Approach for managing road safety. The document speaks volume of the growing national consciousness on issues of road safety, the spirit of collective responsibility and determination to reduce the level of Road Traffic Crashes and ensure that neither deaths nor serious injuries result from these crashes.

In addition to the afore stated facts, the document portrays the vision of a country where Road Traffic Crash results in no death. It also seems to achieve reduction in road traffic crash fatality rate by 50% by the year 2030. This document is a very important, proactive and timely intervention which supports the process of entrenching the culture of safe use of Nigerian highways, the impact of which includes better quality of life for citizens and the socio-economic growth of the nation as a whole.

The NRSS document recognises that road safety is multi – faceted and therefore outlines the responsibilities of various tiers of governments and NGOs, seeking to harmonise the different road safety efforts by emphasising the vision, goal, purpose, output, outcomes as well as the initiatives for road safety management in Nigeria. The NRSS, when fully implemented, is envisioned to transform Nigeria into a country where road traffic crashes result in zero death. It also projects a goal of 50% reduction in road traffic crash fatality rate by year 2030, in line with the SDG goals.

Part of the positives of this development is that it will enhance stakeholder engagement, spur the need for sustained funding, Promote sustainable transportation modes, provoke effective enforcement and infrastructure development, as well as speed up aggressive public awareness and education.

To add verisimilitude, since the document made provision for cascading the initiative to other tiers of government, State Governments must as a matter of urgency and necessity begin to establish and inaugurate the State Road Safety Advisory Council (SaRSAC). To that end, Deputy Governors who are the Chairmen of this initiative in their respective states should torr the line of the Vice President to enable Nigeria collectively achieve the goals of the NRSS and ultimately attain the aspirations of the SDG Goals.

-Deputy Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem (Rtd), fsi, anipr FISPON, a veteran road safety professional and a public relations expert, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

INTERVIEW WITH TOHEEB DELE-BALOGUN; A CREATIVE ADVERTISING EXPERT AS HE TELLS HIS STORY ABOUT HIS RECENT BOOK PROJECT
~BY CHINEDU NSOFOR

Please can you start by sharing a bit about yourself and your background? What led you to pursue your current field?*

My name is Toheeb Dele-Balogun, and I’m a Nigerian based in Lagos and in the UK. I work in the creative side of advertising, where I tell stories for brands. Currently, I am Partner at The hook Creative Agency. My role involves creating impactful brand ideas and communication strategies for private and public institutions. I have always believed in the power of storytelling to shape individuals and society at large.

So how have you been telling these stories over the years?*

I was copywriter for along time. I did campaigns for most of the top brands in Nigeria and won lots of industry awards. I still tell brand stories now but my role has evolved. I consult for brands as a Partner at The hook. And I am currently exploring other forms of storytelling, particularly, fiction. I have a book coming out later in October 2024. It’s called Don’t Tell these stories. In fact we just did a pre-launch show at Creative Bloc Carnival.Interesting. What were the highlights at the Pre-launch show?*

Creative Bloc Carnival is an annual event. I used the carnival to preview my book. The reaction to the book project was massive. “Don’t Tell These Stories” is a thought-provoking collection featuring about 70 short stories. These include stories on child marriage, moral decline, patriotism, politics among others. Each story addresses a different human issue, and the book is an artwork in its execution. It is unique and rare in its format.

See, I wanted to rekindle the passion for reading by presenting the book in ways that attract the modern reader. You will pick it up if you see it, it’s irresistible. The cover will immediately attract you. Once you start a story, you will finish it because it’s short. We’ll produce copies in different forms; for instance, one version will be entirely black with white text, limited to only 10 copies. Then, there will be burnt copy. These ones will have visible burnt scars on them and impactful visuals inside, it will be available at the exhibition later this month and will be sold in Art galleries across country. Lastly, we will have the basic copy, it’s text only. It will be available in bookstores across Nigeria and, globally, on Amazon.com and their kindle platform.

What inspired you to write this story?*

About ten years ago, I stumbled on this six-word story written by Ernest Heminway, For sale: baby’s shoes. Never used. Tt’s about a pregnant woman who bought shoes for her future child, but tragically, the child never got to wear them. The story is really brief and profound. So I gave myself a challenge to write something similar. This project started as that, six-word story. With time I discovered that some stories couldn’t retain their profoundness within the limit of six-words. I became more flexible with the number of words I used but I as still committed to using the least number of words possible for as long as the story is profound. In Don’t Tell These Stories you will find stories that are just six words and other that are more, in fact most of the stories can be described as very short stories, not six-word stories. I didn’t want to box myself with number of words. I followed my muse.

*Q: Why very short stories?*

Times have changed. We live in the most distracted era ever so literature as we know it needs to evolve as well to keep performing its function in shaping the consciousness of society as large. I am writing for the distracted generation. Thomas Hardy wrote Tess of the d’Urbervilles for people without Television, radio or digital entertainment. He wrote for people that will queue to read the news bulletin. His writings were accessed by most people that could read then. Literature and fiction, as a genre, were the mainstream entertainment. So people that could read had their consciousness and morality shaped by the works of these great authors. Overtime, literature has been struggling to have that kind of influence because of the influx of other active entertainment platforms. Most people that could read now don’t see literature as the go-to entertainment. The percentage of literary audience among the large literate population is decreasing every year. We need to do something about it.

I’m writing for a people with fleeting attention span. I want to do fiction that will actually be read by most people that can read and I hope to have profound effect on their consciousness using the least number of words possible. All the feedback I have had on this project have been exciting. “I will totally read this”, I have heard that from countless number of people during preview sessions.

How do stories shape the society?*

We are shaped by things we experience. If people are exposed to low-thought materials on social media it will influence the how they think and perceive the world around them. There’s no vacuum in nature. Literature and its long form structure have struggled to keep up with the evolving reading audience. That needs to be fixed. Literary works are not just stories, they are philosophical gems delivered in stories. I aim to improve the quality of thought and conversation with my work. The stories in my book might be short but a lot thought went into writing every single line.

Can you give a general view of what the book is book?*

The themes I explored are today’s: the external pressures on relationships, the daily conflict with conscience, japa, race, morality, traditional values that we need to regain and those we need to lose among others. There’s a story that I really like, it’s titled Viral Hugs:
John’s depression tweet got 30,000 likes, 10,000 shares. And zero phone call.

The story is really short but it’s gained traction among younger audience that are living in the dual reality of digital vs physical worlds.

Looking ahead, what upcoming events are you most excited about?*

I am most excited about my upcoming exhibition on the 27th of October, which will take place in Lagos, Nigeria. It’s an exclusive event to launch my project. The exhibition is set to fully explore the multi-modal nature of the book, Don’t Tell These Stories. We’re creating a space for people to not just read, but experience these stories and make memories off it.

What is your long-term vision for these project? How do you hope they will evolve in the future?*

My long-term vision is to take my exhibitions beyond Lagos. I plan to host book shows and exhibitions events in various cities across world. After I’m done with Lagos, London is next.
There’s a universal aspect to my stories and I think the world should experience it.

What challenges did you encounter while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?*

Honestly, I didn’t face many external challenges, but I did struggle personally. There were moments I had doubts on proceeding on a story because of its sensitive nature but I remind myself that that’s the whole essence of the book, Stories that shouldn’t be told.

The stories are thought-provoking and addresses themes that some might find uncomfortable. I have pushed through that internal struggle and defied self-doubts to finish the project. I was able to pushcthrough because of the support of family, my partners at The hook and my creative sparring partner, Ayo Ishola. They have all made these project a reality.

What impact do you want your project to have on the world?*

To make the world a better place: from the level of the individual to the world at large

Thank you for making out time to have this conversation*

Thank you for having me.

Apapa Iganmu Constituency II Praises Hon. Musibau Lawal As Stakeholder Meeting Holds

– Political Big-Wigs In Apapa Iganmu Commend Law Maker As 300 Constituents Enjoy Lagos Health Insurance Scheme

– Lagos Health Insurance Scheme: Hon. Musibau Aina Lawal Registers 300 Constituent… Political Big-Wigs Commend Effort

Sahara Weekly Reports That To make life better for the people of Apapa Iganmu COnstituency II, Hon. Muisbau Aina Lawal, a member of Lagos State House of Assembly has registered well over 300 members of his Constituency into the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme (Ilera Eko)

The benefit came during the 9th Constituency Stakeholders’ meeting held simultaneously in all 40 Constituencies in Lagos State on the 11th of October 2024 with the topic: “Ensuring Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming.

Also, the Constituents had the privilege to check their details as there were Dental Nurses and other health personnel on the ground to add color to the event.

The event began with a welcome address by the Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Dr. Mrs. Funmilayo Akande Muhammed, in her speech, she welcomed everyone to the meeting and also expressed gratitude to Hon. Musibau for his remarkable achievements during the few months in office and his dedication to the growth and development of Apapa II.

Delivering the message of the Speaker. Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the Host, Hon. Musibau Aina Lawa,l highlighted the importance of food security to the Countr, more specifically Lagos Stat,e due to its population, the steps taken by the Lagos State Government to improve Food Security in the State. He further stated that empowering Youth to participate in farming is essential to ensuring long-term food security and economic stability in the country.

Also, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph, the MD/CEO of LSDPC and the Chief Host, expressed confidence in the ability and capabilities of Hon. Lawal Aina Musibau. He assured the good people of Apapa II that the Host had requisite experience for the delivery, and the testimonies of people attest to the fact.

During the question-and-answer session, Hon. Musibau reiterated his commitment to Maintaining an open line of communication with the people. He took the opportunity to outline his achievements in areas such as employment facilitation, financial support, medical treatment subsidization, empowerment, admission facilitation, etc.

These achievements were met with applause from the Constituents, who expressed satisfaction with his scorecard and encouraged him not to relent in the discharge of his

Legislative duties.

In attendance was a representative from Oba Fatai Aromire Ojora, the Ojora of Ijora and Iganmu Kingdom, ably represented by the Baale of Marine Beach, Dr. Joseph Ogunmola, also Party Leaders such as Hon. Ayodeji Joseph (MD/CEO, LSPDC); Hon. Funmilayo Akande Muhammed (Chairman Apapa Iganmu LCDA); Hon. Wale Babatunde; Hon. Morufu Gbadamosi Ojora, Hon. Toyin Aweda; Baales, Baloguns and Iyalodes.

Also was a large number of Community Members, representatives from the Lagos State House of Assembly; Youth Representatives, Security Agencies, Media Representatives, and representatives from the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Wife of the Honourable, Mrs. Zaynab Abosede Lawal also supported people in the area with different gift items worth millions of naira as a quiz competition was held to commemorate the gathering.