Abuja-Monday 8th July 2019

Abuja-Monday 8^th July 2019

Road traffic crashes continued to remain a global burden as the number of people killed on the world road increases to a record figure of 1.35million according to the global status report released in December 7, 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO). A simple comparison shows that the number of people killed on the world roads is more than the population of so many countries of the world, this is unacceptable as these deaths are all preventable and avoidable. According to this report, road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 5–29 years, these clearly show that progress to realize the Global Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDGs) target of 3.6 which calls for a 50% reduction in the number of road traffic deaths by 2020 remains a mirage.

Nigeria, among other low and middle-income countries, have 1% of the world’s registered vehicles but leading the chart with 13% of all traffic fatalities. The economy burdens associated with road traffic fatalities are huge, as countries annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are estimated to be lost annually. The task of ensuring safety on our roads must not be left to the Federal Road Safety Corps alone, all hands must be on deck, we must involve and engage young people since they are more affected by the scourge of road fatalities.

We believe that when young people have the skills and knowledge they need, they can undertake real road safety actions in their communities.

GreenLight Initiative received support from US Embassy Abuja through the PAS grant to implement projects on campaigns against road crashes of which the training of 76 NYSC youth corps members to become traffic safety advocates is part of. 30 NYSC corps members will be trained in Abuja today while 46 will be trained in Kaduna State on Thursday, 11^th July 2019. The trainees are leaders of different CDS across all the zones in both States. The traffic safety advocate training is part of GreenLight effort to train and involve young people in road safety fight.

As part of our commitment to save lives, prevent permanent injuries & disabilities, and curb issues of economy losses associated to road traffic fatalities, GreenLight Initiative has organized this traffic safety training program to groom young advocates, and also pave the way for well-meaning Nigerians to create awareness at work, home, schools and in streets as we do our bit to unlearn the thoughts, habits, and actions that lead to road crashes on our roads.

The Traffic Safety training is a train-the-trainers program which will empower and improve the capacity of young people to organize and implement programs geared towards improving road safety and advocating for a policy shift in the area of traffic safety in Nigeria. They will be tasked with the responsibility to reach out to their various communities. Each participant is expected to tender a detailed report of events and activities three (3) months after their training to GreenLight Initiative.

GreenLight Initiative is a non-profit organization that works to improve road safety in Nigeria through the implementation of evidence-backed interventions.

Signed:

Simon Patrick Obi, Executive Director, GreenLight Initiative