The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria and the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) have strengthened regional cooperation on road safety following the signing of a landmark five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a significant milestone in institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange and coordinated efforts to improve road safety across West Africa.
The agreement, signed on Friday at the FRSC National Headquarters in Abuja, reinforces the commitment of both agencies to promote innovation, capacity building, data-driven road safety management, research, vehicle administration and enforcement. It also seeks to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing road traffic crashes and fatalities throughout the ECOWAS region.
The signing of the MoU culminated a three-day working visit to Nigeria by a high-level Sierra Leone delegation led by the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, James B. Bio, at the invitation of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Earlier during the visit, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Julius F. Sandy, where discussions centred on strengthening bilateral cooperation and expanding institutional partnerships between the two countries.
Addressing the signing ceremony, James B. Bio described the agreement as a defining moment in the longstanding relationship between the two road safety institutions. He commended the exceptional professionalism, operational excellence and technological advancement of the Federal Road Safety Corps under the leadership of Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed.
He said the Sierra Leone delegation had gained valuable insights from Nigeria’s road safety management systems and operational best practices, expressing confidence that the knowledge acquired would contribute significantly to strengthening road safety administration in Sierra Leone.
James B. Bio stressed that the agreement would go beyond ceremonial commitments, assuring both parties that it would be implemented through concrete actions, structured engagement and continuous evaluation.
“This MoU will not gather dust on the shelf,” he declared, affirming Sierra Leone’s commitment to translating the partnership into measurable improvements in road safety, institutional development and public service delivery.
During the earlier courtesy visit, Mr. Bio explained that the Abuja mission was specifically designed to deepen bilateral cooperation through technical exchanges, institutional learning and the sharing of best practices capable of enhancing Sierra Leone’s road safety system.
He noted that the partnership would further consolidate the longstanding relationship between Sierra Leone and Nigeria while creating new opportunities for sustained collaboration in road safety administration and management.
Welcoming the delegation to the Sierra Leone High Commission in Abuja, High Commissioner Dr. Julius F. Sandy commended the Executive Director and his team for undertaking the strategic visit, describing institutional partnerships as critical to national development and regional integration.
Dr. Sandy reaffirmed the cordial bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and Nigeria, noting that stronger collaboration between public institutions continues to deliver practical developmental benefits for both countries.
Also speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Sierra Leone’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria and Deputy Head of Mission to ECOWAS, Major General (Rtd.) Dauda Alpha, praised the remarkable transformation of the Federal Road Safety Corps under the leadership of Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed.
He described the FRSC as a continental model for road safety administration and said the new partnership would serve as an important bridge for enhancing regional integration, technical cooperation and collective efforts to protect lives on African roads.
The agreement is expected to facilitate joint training programmes, research initiatives, policy development, institutional capacity building and the exchange of technical expertise between the two agencies over the next five years.
The Sierra Leone delegation included Secretary to the Authority and Board, Abu-Bakarr Sheriff, Esq.; Director of Finance, Joseph H. Momoh; Director of Human Resource, Assanatu Judith Mansaray; Director of Audit, Elizabeth Joko Bassey and Manager of Research and Planning, Ambrose Tucker.
The signing of the historic agreement represents another important step in expanding cross-border cooperation on road safety and positions both Sierra Leone and Nigeria to play a leading role in promoting safer roads, sustainable mobility and stronger institutional collaboration across the ECOWAS sub-region.
