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FRSC, LASTMA Applaud JCI Ikeja’s Safe Driving Campaign
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have applauded the Ikeja Local Organisation of Junior Chamber International (JCI) for its safe driving campaign.
The group recently sensitised some transporters under the aegis of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ikeja branch, on the global best practices of using the roads.
“Once a message of sensitization of this nature is sent out with a continuous reminder, there would be a change of attitude,” the Unit Head of Special Marshals of the FRSC, Ojota Unit Command, Mr Ande Apollo, stated.
Mr Apollo noted that the defensive driving campaign organized by the JCI Ikeja goes a long way, saying that speaking with members of the NURTW will bring more knowledge to them on how to maintain their cars and use the road.
“They would be more conscious and more self-aware of their safety and the safety of other road users. It is believed that most people who use the road are commercial drivers.
“Programs like this will give commercial drivers a rethink on reasons why they should obey road traffic regulations to ensure road safety,” Mr Appollo explained.
Also speaking during the sensitization program, the Grand Chairman, Ikeja branch of NURTW, Comrade Isiaka Apena, applauded the initiative of JCI Ikeja.
Mr Apena said that the seminar is good and very important to them, saying that it should be frequent for them can keep enlightening their drivers on how and why they should obey road traffic rules for the safety of their lives and other road users and ensure road safety.
He then called on the government at different levels to support them alleviate the challenges they are going through.
Mr Apena also said that there should be assistance from the government to the transport sector, especially NURTW, pointed out that the vehicle they are using is bad, and there should be a form of assistance from the government to subsidies; probably to collect their old vehicles and get them new vehicles and they pay in instalment.
“Government should do something to assist the drivers because it is a means of income for the drivers and this would make transportation better.
“The government should render financial assistance to the transport sector at least to aid the purchase of the new vehicles,” Mr Apena begged.
Explaining why the campaign was organised, the President of JCI Ikeja, Ms Tricia Inalu, explained that the need to inform public transport drivers on the best ways to use the roads and to reduce the road the accident that happen on daily basis influenced the event.
She quoted a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which said between 2013 and 2019, over 5000 deaths were recorded annually.
“In February this year, a Vanguard report stated that an average of 4 persons dies every 6 hours, an average of 15 persons die daily, and in a month, over 400 people die.
“These figures are alarming, these are people who are breadwinners, who have dependents and this affects the family, the home front and even our economy,” Ms Inalu explained.
“As a leadership organization that JCI is, we look out for problems and opportunities where we can promote development and create value for our communities.
“This has become very necessary as we have realised that we cannot leave this to the government because we are the government, we are the ones that can talk to ourselves to do things right and that is why we are on this sensitization campaign,” she said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The corporate mobility solution from Bolt, Bolt Business, has expressed its desire to strengthen relationships with existing customers in Nigeria by introducing solutions tailored to industries with frequent employee mobility needs, including healthcare, financial services, legal services and logistics.
This is as the organisation, over the past 12 months, delivered double-digit growth in the country, driven by expanding adoption across multiple industries, growing demand from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and an increasing number of firms seeking cost-efficient alternatives to managing in-house transport fleets.
The Country Manager for Bolt for Business Nigeria, Mr Isaac Iroko, disclosed that the smarter mobility solutions being planned will improve visibility, simplify expense management and support business growth.
“Our focus remains on building products that create value for organisations of every size while delivering a seamless experience for their employees,” he stated.
Bolt Business has continued to experience an increasing demand from businesses seeking smarter, more efficient ways to manage employee transportation and business travel.
It serves organisations across a broad range of industries, including financial services, technology, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, logistics, media, real estate and fast-growing consumer businesses.
The growth reflects a broader shift in how Nigerian businesses approach corporate mobility. Rather than maintaining expensive vehicle fleets or relying on fragmented transport arrangements, more organisations are adopting digital mobility platforms that offer greater transparency, control and operational efficiency.
“Businesses today are looking beyond transportation; they’re looking for smarter ways to optimise operations and manage costs.
“We’ve seen organisations across different sectors embrace Bolt Business because it gives them a simple, reliable and transparent way to manage employee travel, whether it’s daily commutes, client meetings or business trips.
“This growth demonstrates that corporate mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of business efficiency in Nigeria,” Mr Iroko stated.
Unlike traditional fleet management, Bolt Business enables companies to centralise transportation through a single platform, providing features such as centralised billing, trip reporting, spending controls and real-time visibility into employee travel. These capabilities help businesses improve oversight while reducing the administrative burden associated with corporate transportation.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To boost economic activities in Lagos Island and support residents, the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are, sponsored the training of eight persons at the LagRide Drivers Academy through the LagRide Partner Programme.
Mr Are funded both the academy training and the vehicle costs, removing the two barriers that most frequently prevent qualified drivers from entering formal, structured employment in the mobility sector.
The beneficiaries were handed over keys to their vehicles at a ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
They now operate a LagRide vehicle under the platform’s Drive To Own programme, which allows a Captain to earn daily income while working towards full ownership of the vehicle at the end of the agreed payment term.
“The initial capital required to be onboarded was never going to come from these young men, so we provided that intervention financially so that they can have good employment.
“Lagos is a megacity. My agency runs the largest gaming and fintech conference on the continent every year, and when those delegates arrive, we do not want them driven around in poor vehicles. This is also employment for our own people, and we have a great deal of unemployment and underemployment in this country.
“These Captains are from Lagos Island Local Government, and they can now take care of their own families. Let me be clear about one thing. This is not a project. It is a programme, and it continues,” Mr Are stated.
Also speaking, the chairman of LagRide, Ms Diana Chen, said, “Today is just a new beginning, and more and more people will come. More local governments will join us, and one day we want to bring the Governor here so that this programme runs across the state.
“LagRide is a platform where a person comes to take a job and ends up owning the vehicle. It is also a platform that any government, or any organisation with a social development or CSR mandate, can use to empower the people they want to support. The people get their own asset at the end of it.”
On her part, the lawmaker representing Lagos Island Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon, said, “Everyone keeps saying there are not enough jobs for our youths. This is our own way of ensuring that they are empowered.
“When you give a person money, it is money, and it finishes. This is the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish. You are giving these young men something they can use to take care of themselves, their families and their homes.
“We must thank the chief executive of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority for doing this, and I must also thank Chief Diana Chen. Lagos Island is a commercial hub, and we intend to keep the flag flying. This is the beginning, and we will be coming back to ask for more.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A bill aimed at prohibiting hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles in Nigeria has been passed by the Senate.
The bill known as the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, imposes fines between N50,000 and N100,000 for violations if assented to by the President.
The piece of legislation was passed by the red chamber of the National Assembly on Thursday and should later be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Members of the upper chamber of the parliament explained that the law was amended to discourage distractions in commercial vehicles and improve the safety of commuters.
In addition, motorists who fail to cooperate with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion are liable to fines or imprisonment or both.
Lawmakers noted that this was to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce road crashes, as fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating drugs were raised to N100,000 from N5,000, with the risk of spending two years behind bars.
It was also proposed that disobedience to traffic lights, road signs, pavement markings and other traffic control devices will now attract N100,000, while the fine for speed limit violations is now N100,000, with reckless driving now a fine of N100,000 or two years’ imprisonment.
