WorldStage Newsonline– To strengthen the Federal Road Safety Corps and reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030, Nigeria has expressed hope of benefiting from the newly $770 million United Nations Road Trust Fund.
According to a statement, Mr Akinremi Bolaji, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN who expressed the wish while delivering Nigeria’s statement at the launch of the Fund at the UN headquarters in New York said: “As a developing country, Nigeria not only supports the trust fund but anxiously looks forward to being among the first beneficiaries from the envisaged financial support.
“This is necessary to tilt our ongoing intervention efforts to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals of reducing fatalities by 50 per cent.
“Nigeria welcomes the launch and pledges her unflinching support for the trust fund as a vehicle to leverage additional funding.
“This we believe would strengthen the Federal Road Safety Corps, in Nigeria, which is the country’s lead Agency in road traffic administration and safety management”.
He said with 770 million dollars of grant funding per year over the coming decade, the fund could save five million lives and avert 50 million serious injuries in low and middle income countries.
He said while road safety was recognised as a key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issue, inadequate funding, bad road network, lack of awareness, as well as absence of emergency health care services had remained its major challenges.
“In keeping with our commitment to halve road traffic deaths by 2020, Nigeria has intensified efforts in tackling these challenges.
“This is by mainstreaming the work of the Federal Road Safety Commission into State policies with particular focus on rural transport safety, to ensure no one is left behind.
“In October 2017, Nigeria also approved a Road Trust Fund that is expected to accelerate the delivery of significant constructions of safe roads and road infrastructures, especially in rural areas and industrial clusters affected by bad roads.
“In 2018, an estimated 37 million dollars was earmarked for the construction of these roads,” Bolaji said.
The Nigerian envoy commended the General Assembly for convening the 82nd plenary session to consider the draft resolution on Improving Global Road Safety, adding Nigeria welcomes the adoption of the resolution by consensus. (NAN)
ROAD ACCIDENTS CLAIM 1.3M LIVES ANNUALLY
Ms Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, said some 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians died each year on the world’s roads.
Mohammed stated this as UN took a major step to address this tragedy by launching a trust fund to spur action that could save lives and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents.
The UN deputy chief spoke at the UN General Assembly where she highlighted the opportunities offered by the UN Road Safety Trust Fund.
“We have a chance to save the lives of millions of people around the world, and to prevent injuries, suffering and the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents,” she said.
The UN deputy scribe urged all stakeholders to contribute to the Trust Fund and to step up their efforts to achieve global road safety targets.
According to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which is also the secretariat for the Trust Fund, every 1,500 dollars contributed to the Fund could save one life; prevent 10 serious injuries and leverage 51,000 dollars towards investments in road safety.
“The Road Safety Trust Fund will serve as a catalyst for much-needed progress towards the road safety targets of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Ms Olga Algayerova, the head of UNECE.
Dealing specifically with road safety, SDG targets 3.6 and 11.2 aim to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents and to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems as well as improve road safety for all, respectively.
“We are committed to working with all stakeholders to multiply the impact of global action to improve road safety,” added Algayerova.
Jean Todt, the President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile and the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, also underlined the importance scaling up of resources to achieve global road safety targets.
“The Trust Fund has the potential to galvanise our global efforts to address the road safety situation, building on the progress made and experience gained over the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020,” he said.
The Trust Fund would support strengthened road safety management capacities, improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks, enhanced safety of vehicles, improved behaviour of road users, and improved post-crash care.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on road safety in which it called for a host of measures to prevent road accidents and to minimising the resulting damage.
It urged the adoption of policies and measures to implement vehicle safety regulations to ensure that all new motor vehicles meet “applicable minimum regulations for the protection of occupants and other road users, with seat belts, airbags and active safety systems fitted as standard equipment.”
