A wake-up call on road safety

On December 29, 2025, Nigerian-British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, was involved in a tragic crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The vehicle collided with a stationary truck. Regrettably, Joshua’s two close associates, personal trainer, Latif Kevin Ayodele, and strength and conditioning coach, Sina Gbami both died at the scene. By a twist of fate, Joshua, who swapped seats shortly before the crash, sustained minor injuries and was hospitalised, and later discharged.

The driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, who has been a long-serving member of Joshua’s logistics team, survived with minor injuries. However, he was charged on January 2, 2026, by the police with serious offences of causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) blamed the crash on excessive speed, wrongful overtaking, and a tyre burst. Unfortunately, such accidents are common but rarely receive high-level attention like that involving a high-profile figure like Joshua.

Yet, this incident showcases broader failures and deals an immediate blow to Nigeria’s soft power, especially given Joshua’s prior positive endorsements of the country. It is, moreover, a public relations disaster for Nigeria, as it amplified negative perceptions of the country internationally, especially in the areas of emergency response, infrastructure deficiency, and public safety. This reinforces stereotypes of the country as a place of disorder and risk, which invariably could deter tourists, diaspora visits, and foreign investment.

Because of Joshua’s global celebrity status, a local tragedy was turned into worldwide news, as the international media provided detailed coverage, accentuating poor regulatory enforcement, which encourages chaotic traffic patterns such as speeding, overtaking, pedestrians crossing highways without bridges, vehicles ignoring one-way rules, poor road conditions, illegally parked vehicles, and clear reckless behaviour.

The result is that between January and June 2025, FRSC arrested about 290,887 road traffic offenders linked to 319,798 traffic offences. In the third quarter of 2025 (July–September), over 27,000 drivers were arrested for various violations, mainly tied to reckless conduct.

In 2024, road crashes claimed a total of 5,421 lives (a 7 per cent increase from 5,081 in 2023). From January to September 2025, no fewer than 3,400 people died in road accidents. In the second quarter of 2025, crashes rose to 2,631 (up 9.4 per cent) from Q2 2024. Generally, FRSC records indicate that human factors, especially reckless and dangerous driving, contribute to over 80 per cent of crashes.

Daily Trust, therefore, demands a multi-pronged and sustained push to stop recklessness and carnage on Nigeria’s roads. Towards this, we implore the FRSC and police to embark on sustained and massive patrols on the nation’s highways, especially during festive seasons. There should also be the deployment of speed cameras and the activation of mobile on-the-spot courts that enforce zero tolerance for speeding, phone use while driving, overloading, and drunk driving.

We also call for the enforcement of rules, including the imposition of heavy fines, licence suspension, and even vehicle impounding. Moreover, road regulatory agencies, led by the FRSC, need to embark on public education in order to elicit behavioural changes for good. Such campaigns, involving influencers, traditional and religious leaders, the use of jingles, social media, and skits, should be targeted at churches, mosques, and motor parks.

Efforts should also be intensified by fixing all potholes, the emplacement of better signage, and improved lighting on the roads. Moreover, the poor post-crash response by first responders – FRSC and police – should also be prioritised in order to save lives after crashes through better provision of ambulance services and trauma care. There should also be stricter licensing of drivers and better hazard removal on the roads. Most importantly, road regulatory agencies should move from reactive to proactive measures in terms of limiting accidents on the roads.

Daily Trust also insists that the FRSC should fully implement the mandatory installation of speed limiters on all commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, trailers, and vans. The speed-limiting devices, with an initial enforcement deadline of October 1, 2016, were to help curb over-speeding, a major cause of road crashes. But as of February 2025, they have recorded a low level of compliance, as only about 187,284 vehicles had installed the device, far below the total number of registered commercial vehicles.

It must also be emphasised that the nation’s road traffic laws, especially the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012, with 2016 amendments, and the FRSC Act 2007, are not meant for the shelf but for diligent implementation to serve as deterrents to offenders. Nigerians must realise that dangerous, reckless, and negligent driving is a serious traffic offence regulated primarily by the FRSC (Establishment) Act 2007, the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012, and related laws like the Federal Highways Act.

The present system where FRSC officials are more interested in collecting revenue must stop. They should also cease being in concert with others along the nation’s highways who ignore the enforcement of rules and specialise in corrupt practices with drivers and conductors, thereby contributing to the malaise on the nation’s roadways.

Going forward, Daily Trust expects more discipline from our road regulators via stronger, consistent, and rehabilitative sanctions that nudge road users towards compliance and safety. Nigerians yearn for proactive measures that prevent road crashes, promote safer motoring environments, enforce regulations, educate road users, and provide effective rescue services.

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