Efforts of the Ogun State Traffic Control and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) are yielding positive results, as number of crashes and deaths recorded between January and June 2023 is decreasing.

The Agency Commander and Chief Executive Officer, Commander Seni Ogunyemi made this known in his welcome address read at the 8th annual TRACE Commanders’ Conference/Retreat with the theme, “Traffic Management Solutions and Capacity Building as a Panacea to Traffic Challenges in Nigeria”, held at the Valley View Auditorium, Isale Igbehin, Abeokuta.

Commander Ogunyemi, in a statement signed by Mrs. Temitope Akinbola, Press Officer, TRACE, attributed the feat to the effective service delivery and professionalism deployed by the TRACE officers and police, said there were 257 crashes with 429 injuries and 68 deaths within the period which is a decline from the previous records.

He said, ‘’The agency over the years has exposed its operatives and officers to different levels and categories of training and retraining for human capital development geared towards professionalism as well as be abreast of contemporary traffic management techniques for effective service delivery’’.

The TRACE boss said the agency had lined up quite a number of seasoned, highly cerebral and erudite scholars with a great reservoir of knowledge, expertise and experience in road traffic administration and management to deliver papers at the retreat, assuring the people of the state that it would continue to strive harder and intensively on its 24 hours service delivery initiatives to ensure utmost safety on the roads.

In his remark, the Commissioner, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olugbenga Dairo said the plan of the present administration for the transport sector is to strengthen it to enable the officers have the capacity and capability to undertake their duties and responsibilities towards achieving the government’s mandates for the people of the state, imploring members of the public to cooperate and collaborate with TRACE to further achieve more in road management and other related activities.

On his part, the Head of Service, Mr. Kolawole Fagbohun, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Public Service Reform, Mr. Jola Oyeneye said effective traffic management required skilled and disciplined personnel with the use of modern technological equipment that would ease their operations.

Mr. Fagbohun commended the officers for their efficient service delivery on the state roads and corridors, he charged them to do more in the discharge of their duties to save lives and property.

In his remark, the Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Engr. Tokunbo Odebunmi urged the traffic management officers to be proactive and committed to their duties, adding that series of training sessions would be organised to improve officers, as capacity building is imperative in all government agencies.

Speaking, the guest lecturer, a university don at the Faculty of Administration and Management Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Prof. Olayiwola Solanke in his lecture titled:” Traffic Management Solutions and Capacity Building as a Panacea to Challenges in Nigeria’’, said technology innovation would reduce challenge been experienced in Nigeria, adding that for the country to achieve the desired and effective management of traffic, there would be need for adoption of the technology-driven mode of operation.

Prof. Solanke said that adequate infrastructure must be put in place before enforcement.