As part of efforts to increase road safety awareness and to reduce the rate of accidents on Nigeria roads, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday, launched what it described as the first government own signage plant in Nigeria.

The need to build the facility, according to the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, was necessitated by a research carried out in 2014 by FRSC on Nigerian highways which were characterised by ‘‘improper sings and signals’’ leading to recorded road crashes by motorists.

In his address, President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, commended the effort of staff of FRCS under the leadership of Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, saying the federal government is committed to a road network that would ensure the safety of motorists on the road.

He noted that one of the salient observations of any first timer in any foreign country is the road signage and signalling system, followed by traffic behaviour.

He also noted that before the advent of his administration, many of the nation’s highways were either without road signs and signals and those that had were inadequate and wrongfully placed, a situation he said ‘‘added up to the records in road traffic crashes in the country”.

The President, who explained that the gains being recorded today by the FRSC was part of his campaign promises, which was hinged on the ‘‘rejuvenation of the country’s standard road signage and signalling to help create order in our highways, providing essential information to road users, thus helping them navigate the road and prevent crashes’’.

While he appreciated the achievement recorded in the short period of the existence of the infrastructure, he called on FRSC and the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing for synergy ‘‘to constantly carry out robust monitoring and evaluation of the impact from time to time, to guide the government’s road transport policy”, noting that the government is committed to roads infrastructure beyond the signs and signage as it is ensuring that all contractors are adequately mobilise to complete the various projects at hand.

Earlier in his opening remarks at the at the signage plant in Gwagwalada, while thanking all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the project, Dr Boboye explained that ‘‘road traffic signals are major components of road network that enhance communication between the roads and users and are therefore not supposed to be ambiguous for an average road user, hence the Corps had to swing into action”.

He noted that the plant has not only met up with the national road signs need but also has the production capacity which is aligned to the UN conventions on Road Signals.