SAFER ROADS AND MOBILITY IN NIGERIA: OYEYEMI INAUGURATES STAKEHOLDERS COMMITTEE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NIGERIA ROAD ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME (nRAP)

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has on Tuesday inaugurated the Committee on the proposed establishment of the National Road Assessment Programme (nRAP), to enhance safer road infrastructures and compliment existing efforts geared towards the reduction of road deaths and injuries on Nigerian roads.

In a statement by Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, the Corps Marshal said that the Road Assessment Programme is an international concept and practice that has gained acceptance in regions and countries around the globe. It targets to purposely enhance existing road safety engineering practice and create safe road infrastructures for all road users.

He explained that the programme is a deliberate effort by concerned authorities to assess road infrastructure with a view to improve the safety of roads. In addition, the main focus of RAP is placed on improvement of roads for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, two and three wheeler vehicles, etc.

Upon creation of the nRAP, Nigeria will become an affiliate of the African Regional body and by extension a component of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP)

While congratulating them for being part of the Committee which evolved from the need to encourage maximum collaboration and coordination of strategic infrastructure investment, Oyeyemi appealed to them to make meaningful contributions that will enrich the process and improve on our road safety.

According to him, as challenging as the problems bedevilling safer road infrastructures are, the task of road safety is still achievable if the requisite research, technology and expertise are adequately harnessed.

As such, the establishment of nRAP will not only be a step in the right direction towards the realisation of Pillar 2 of the United Nations Decade of Action on road safety 2021-2030, but also lead to the domestication of the iRAP strategies.

The members expressed satisfaction and pledged commitment to the realisation of the mandate bestowed on them, noting that the nRAP is a veritable programme that will enhance the standards of road infrastructures in Nigeria.

The Stakeholder Committee inaugural meeting had in attendance, the team from the Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Remix Adewunmi, representing the National Institute of Transport Technology, Engr Garba Aliyu, representing the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mr Sita Onyelekwe from the Road Sector Development Team of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, and Engr Amos GC who represented Nigeria Institute of Highway and Transportation Engineering among others.