ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has begun an intensive national training programme for more than 300 senior officers, as part of a major push to modernise traffic enforcement and leadership across Nigeria.
The week-long strategic course, which opened on Monday at the FRSC headquarters in Abuja, targets 305 chief route commanders and assistant corps commanders. Officials say the move is designed to shift the agency away from “conventional” methods toward a more professional, tech-driven approach to road safety.
‘Beyond Conventional Enforcement’
In a keynote address delivered on his behalf by Deputy Corps Marshal Abiodun Akinlade, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, warned that the agency must evolve to meet contemporary challenges.
He told participants that the modern road safety environment now demands:
- Adaptive Leadership: Moving beyond rigid enforcement to handle complex traffic scenarios.
- Emotional Intelligence: Improving how officers engage with the public.
- Operational Judgement: Sharpening the decision-making skills of those bridging the gap between policy and fieldwork.
“The Corps can no longer rely solely on conventional enforcement methods,” the statement read, adding that officers must now meet rising “public expectations” regarding service delivery and professionalism.
Building a ‘Bridge’
The training is being viewed as a critical component of a broader institutional transformation. By targeting officers in middle-to-senior management, the FRSC aims to strengthen the “mentorship culture” within its ranks, ensuring that ethical standards are passed down to junior operatives.
The programme, supported by private sector partners Ai-Protech Solutions, involves officers drawn from across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Niger State.
Strategic Reforms
In a statement signed by the Corps Public Education Officer, Osondu Ohaeri, the FRSC emphasised that this initiative is part of a permanent framework for “continuous learning”.
The agency expects that the 305 officers will return to their various commands as a “new generation of operational leaders”, equipped to drive down road accident rates and improve the efficiency of commands nationwide.
The move comes at a time of increased scrutiny on Nigeria’s road safety record, with the leadership under pressure to demonstrate that the Corps is capable of managing the country’s increasingly busy and complex highway networks.
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