At the 2nd National Rescue Summit on Road Safety, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), emphasized the collective responsibility in ensuring safer roads in Nigeria. Presenting a paper titled “Effective Post-Crash Response Towards Achieving Global Goals 2030,” Onilu underscored the critical role of road safety given that road transportation remains the most prevalent mode of transport in the country.
The Director General highlighted the pressing need for a holistic strategy to combat the high incidence of road traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. He outlined the NOA’s commitment to achieving a 50% reduction in road-related incidents by 2030, stressing the importance of effective post-crash responses—one of the key pillars of the 2nd Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Representing Onilu at the summit, Dr. Olukemi Afolayan, Oyo NOA Director, detailed the Agency’s strategies for enhancing post-crash responses. These strategies include advocacy with stakeholders, community engagement, and partnerships with various government agencies. The Agency emphasizes critical actions during emergencies, such as calling for ambulance services, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police, civil defense corps, fire services, NOA’s WAI brigade, and ensuring first aid is administered by qualified personnel. Moreover, the importance of preventing further accidents and reducing traffic congestion during such events was highlighted.
The paper also addressed several challenges impeding effective post-crash response, such as misinformation about government agencies’ efforts, fear of law enforcement, apathy towards accident victims, and the financial burden of hospital bills. Additionally, it criticized the influence of social media, where some youth prioritize creating content over providing immediate assistance to victims.
Onilu’s presentation concluded with a call to action for all Nigerian citizens to be their brother’s keepers and urged relevant agencies to persist in their efforts towards making roads safer. He stressed that the responsibility for road safety is a collective one, requiring the involvement and commitment of every individual and organization.