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Lagos Kicks Off Ember Months Safety Campaign
By Dipo Olowookere
Lagos State Government has commenced the ember month’s campaign with a charge to drivers, commuters and other stakeholders in the transportation sector to be safety conscious and drive defensively in order to ensure that the State does not record any loss of lives and property this season.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Drivers’ Institute, Mr Philips Ogunlade, gave the charge on Wednesday at the Multi Park Drivers’ Enlightenment Campaign Programme organised for drivers at Ogolonto, Agric, and Sabo Motor Parks in Ikorodu Local Government Area while the Institute also provided free eye tests for drivers.
Speaking on the theme: “Life is Worth Living – Drive Safely”, Mr Ogunlade stated that ember months are just like other months of the year and the increased road accidents recorded in the previous seasons were largely due to human error from road rage and increased traffic during the period, stating further that the campaign programme is designed to create adequate awareness and re-awaken people’s consciousness, especially drivers and commuters, to safety.
According to him, security and safety of lives and property is one of the cardinal policies of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration and this is demonstrated through massive construction and rehabilitation of roads and installation of streetlights to ensure visibility at night.
He called on all drivers and commuters to check and ensure their vehicles are in good conditions, obey traffic rules and regulations and be disciplined, avoid over-speeding, drive cautiously and safely, not to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol and drive defensively while passengers are enjoined to encourage drivers to drive cautiously as safety on the road is a collective responsibility.
The Chief Executive Officer of LASDRI also reiterated that the Institute was established to address the huge level of indiscipline on the road by breeding a new generation of drivers whose driving would be cultured, instinctive and who are expected to respect the right of other road users.
“This is why the Institute operates structured and mandatory professional driving training courses for all drivers and conductors, including non-professional drivers interested in improving their driving skills”, he noted.
While emphasizing that it is mandatory for all professional drivers to attend the Institute for training, retraining and recertification once a year, he solicited for the support of all transport unions, especially the union leaders, to encourage their members to visit any of the Institute’s five centres behind LASTMA headquarters’ in Ikeja, Oko Afo in Badagry, Odongunyan in Ikorodu, Oja-Oba in Lagos Island and Itoikin road in Epe for retraining and recertification in order to enhance their driving skills and make them better drivers.
Dignitaries present at the event include, the Deputy Director, Training at LASDRI, Alhaja Afusat Tiamiyu; Area Controller, Lagos East of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Latifat Giwa; Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Unit Commander, Ikorodu, Taiwo Eko; the Secretary, Ogolonto Tipper’s Association, Mr Saliu Abiodun and the Chairman, Branch B of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Otunba Waliu among others.
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.
By Dipo Olowookere
Residents and motorists plying the Aina Obembe Road in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, may soon heave a sigh of relief as the excruciating traffic gridlock being experienced in the area both day and night may soon be a thing of the past.
This is because the chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Mr Lukmon Agbaje, has directed those involved in indiscriminate truck parking along the road to remove the heavy-duty vehicles within one week, threatening to invoke appropriate enforcement measures for noncompliance with this directive.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday with the management of SENA Company, which owns the affected trucks, as well as the leadership of Oluwadara CDA and other key stakeholders like the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), at the council’s secretariat, Mr Agbaje frowned at the prolonged inconvenience suffered by the community, stressing that public roads must remain accessible and safe for all users.
He emphasised the need for a collaborative approach in resolving the issue without undermining legitimate business operations, noting that he’s focused on finding a lasting solution to the gridlock experienced between Oluwaga and Aina Obembe, where parked trucks have continued to obstruct traffic, disrupt business activities, and pose safety concerns for residents and motorists.
He tasked the firm and the CDA to jointly identify and implement alternative parking arrangements that would remove all trucks from the affected roads and restore the free flow of traffic.
He declared that, “The welfare of our people remains our highest priority. No individual or corporate organisation should obstruct public infrastructure or create avoidable hardship for residents. We must ensure that economic activities coexist with public safety, order, and convenience.”
The council chief reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting orderly development, ensuring safe and accessible roads, improving traffic management, and creating an environment where businesses can thrive alongside the well-being of residents.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has cut import levies on new and used vehicles by as much as 10 per cent in a move aimed at reducing the cost of vehicle importation, even as it commenced the implementation of a new Green Tax surcharge.
According to an update issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, the import levy on new vehicles has been reduced from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, while the levy on used vehicles has been slashed from 15 per cent to five per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
The customs said the policy is designed to ease the cost of vehicle imports while advancing the government’s environmental sustainability objectives through the newly introduced Green Tax.
The implementation also reduces the overall import duty on fully built passenger vehicles from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.
As part of the Green Tax framework, a new environmental surcharge of between two per cent and four per cent will apply to petrol-powered vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2,000cc. However, mass transit buses, electric vehicles, and passenger cars with engines below 2,000cc are exempt from the surcharge.
Beyond the automobile sector, the fiscal measures also lower import duties on several essential goods. The duty on imported rice has been reduced from 70 per cent to 47.5 per cent, while crude palm oil now attracts a 28.75 per cent duty.
In addition, import duties on agricultural and manufacturing machinery have been completely removed to support local production, while Waste PET has been added to the export prohibition list to encourage domestic recycling.
