FRSC Flags-Off 2025 Ember Months Campaign, Frowns On Drivers’ Disobedience To Traffic Rules

The Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed on Monday – October 20, flagged-off the leading agency in road traffic management’s 2025 ’ember’ months campaign with press briefing across Nigeria

The agency has over the years made ember months campaign a compulsory exercise to reduce the high incidence of road traffic crashes, fatalities, and congestion that occur during the last four months of the year.

The campaigns aim to mitigate risks associated with increased travel for holidays, adverse weather, and reckless driving by enforcing traffic laws, educating motorists, passengers and promoting safety measures.

The Corps Marshal’s messages with the theme: “Take Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving” was delivered by the Lagos State Sector Commander, CC Ganiyu Kehinde Hamzat, at a press conference in FRSC headquarters in Ojodu.

“It is my pleasure to address you at this press conference which marks the flag-off of our 2025 ember months road safety sensitization campaign.  The Ember month campaign is a yearly tradition through which the Federal Road Safety Corps intensifies its advocacy and public awareness on the need for safer road use.  As we are all aware, the ember months is a season marked by increased travel, higher traffic volume and attendant rise in road crash injuries and fatalities.

Mohammed said the choice of the 2025 end-of-year campaign theme: “Taking Responsibility for Your Safety” was deliberate and well thought-out.  It was carefully chosen to address road traffic infringements by drivers which were largely responsible for the previous road crash records.

He frowned on high level at which drivers violated road traffic rules and regulations which includes: Excessive speed, drunk driving or under Influence drugs; Seat belt violations, overloading, distractions –  using of phones while driving and using of worn-out tyres.

The FRSC boss disclosed the agency’s strategic plan towards achieving the maximum reduction of crashes during the festive periods and beyond as: “Deployment of personnel and Special Marshals across major highways and crash-prone corridors nationwide; Free-vehicle check exercise to improve vehicle road worthiness; Conducting motor park rallies and motorcar carnivals nationwide to raise awareness level of motorist and the general public; organizing town hall meetings to strengthen collaboration with transport unions, security agencies, and other critical road safety stakeholders for a seamless ember-months campaign.

 

“These measures, in addition to our routine enforcement operations are designed to raise awareness against reckless driving usually associated with the ember months. It is also expected that the implementation of these measures will significantly reduce the percentage of occurrence of road crashes and drive down road crash-related deaths and injuries.

“Over the past months, FRSC has achieved a milestone in strategic partnership and capacity building.   Driving schools were engaged to raise the standard of driver training; fleet operators were also tasked to meet up with the minimum vehicle safety standards for fleet operations. We have also interfaced with NGOs and civil society groups to strengthen advocacy for road safety. Mobile courts and stop-over operations were also constituted to address persistent causes of crashes such as overloading and speed violations; and, these have yielded remarkable results.

“One of the major platforms adopted by the Corps to canvass support for road safety is the FRSC Annual Lecture Series. The Lecture Series was resuscitated this year to create awareness on the recurrent issues on road safety as a major public health challenge requiring urgent attention and action.  It is gratifying to note that consultations at the Lecture provided critical perspectives on global best practices on road safety through strategic partnership.

“In addition, we have activated plans to overcome the perenial challenges associated with delays in obtaining the drivers license and number plates. Our printing facility has been upgraded to print an average of 15,000 drivers license daily. This production average will be increased to clear the backlog before the second week of November 2025.

“We are also about to commence the contactless biometric capture with on-spot printing of the license which will eliminate temporary licenses thereby signaling the beginning of digitalized one-stop-shop for processing drivers license. With this development, it is expected that delays and other challenges related to the national drivers license will be history. This Press will be treated to a demonstration of this process immediately after this briefing.

“Furthermore, plans have reached advanced stage to convene an international conference on road crash victims for Africa between 16-18 November, 2025.   The conference was conceived in partnership with the  Kwapda’s Road Safety Demands (KRSD) to strengthen post-crash care for road crash victims in line with the fifth pillar of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in Africa. It is expected that these efforts will translate into zero-road crash-related deaths as we drive into the Yuletide and the New Year.

“Meanwhile, I wish to put it on record that Government support is substantially responsible for the modest achievement of the Federal Road Safety Corps over the years.  Accordingly, I wish to appreciate the Federal Government of Nigeria, especially, the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) for its advisory oversight.  I urge all Nigerians to continue to support the Corps as we strive to create a safer motoring environment for our dear nation,” Mallam Mohammed, added.

He appreciated media for their unwavering commitment to advancing road safety enlightenment, saying FRSC believes that we can collectively change our road traffic behaviour for safer roads and fuller lives for our dear nation.