The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed the loss of over 3,400 lives in road crashes across Nigeria between January and September 2025 to reckless driver behaviour and human error.
Shehu Mohammed, Corps Marshal, FRSC disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press conference marking the flag-off of the 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaign.
According to him, 3,433 persons were killed and 22,162 injured in 6,858 reported road crashes within the first nine months of the year.
He also disclosed that during the 2024 end-of-year “Operation Zero” exercise, held between 15 December 2024 and 15 January 2025, 432 persons lost their lives while 2,070 others sustained injuries from 533 reported crashes.
Mohammed identified driver fatigue, overloading, use of phones while driving, conveyance of passengers in haulage vehicles, and carrying fuel in plastic containers as major causes of road crashes, stressing that most incidents are preventable if drivers adhere to safety rules.
“The theme for this year’s campaign, ‘Take Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving’, reinforces the fact that human factors remain the dominant cause of crashes on our highways,” he stated.
The Corps Marshal announced that the FRSC had mapped out a series of measures to reduce crashes and fatalities during the Ember months.
These include the deployment of personnel and special marshals across major highways, free vehicle checks, motor park rallies, and town hall meetings with transport unions, security agencies, and other stakeholders.
He added that the Corps had achieved milestones in partnerships and reforms aimed at improving road safety, including upgrading driving school standards and enforcing minimum safety requirements for fleet operators.
In a bid to ease the challenges associated with obtaining drivers licences, Mohammed disclosed that the FRSC had upgraded its printing facility to produce an average of 15,000 licences daily, with plans to clear the backlog before mid-November 2025.
He further revealed that the Corps will soon introduce a contactless biometric capture and instant licence printing system, which will eliminate temporary licences and usher in a digital one-stop process for licence issuance.
Read also: FRSC clears licence backlog ahead of ember months
On post-crash care, the FRSC boss announced plans to host an International Conference on Road Crash Victims for Africa in collaboration with the KRSD Road Safety Foundation, scheduled for 16–18 November 2025, to strengthen emergency response and rehabilitation of crash victims in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
While commending the federal government and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for their continued support, Mohammed urged all road users to take personal responsibility for safety as the nation approaches the festive season.
