Lokoja — The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has launched a special intervention initiative, codenamed Operation Safeguard the Roads, aimed at improving road safety and reducing the frequency of traffic crashes across Kogi State.

The programme was inaugurated on Tuesday by the Federal Road Maintenance Engineer in the state, Mr. Muktar Abdulrahim, at Ochadamu, along the Itobe–Anyigba Road.

Abdulrahim said the initiative was designed to make federal roads safer and more efficient for motorists while creating temporary employment opportunities for youths in communities along major road corridors.

“The programme is designed to discourage road vandalism and abuses, such as dumping refuse in drainages and along roadsides, unauthorised cutting of roads, and theft of critical infrastructure like bridge handrails and road signs,” he explained.

According to him, Operation Safeguard the Roads will help foster a sense of ownership among local communities, encouraging them to take responsibility for maintaining the roads.

He added that the project would involve vegetation control to enhance visibility and reduce accidents, desilting drains and culverts to prevent flooding, and carrying out minor repairs such as patching potholes and fixing collapsed sections to improve traffic flow.

“We shall also conduct training on road maintenance operations for residents of communities along major roads,” Abdulrahim noted, thanking FERMA Managing Director, Dr. Chukwu Emeka-Agbasi, for initiating the programme.

Also speaking, Mr. Awodun Daniel, FERMA’s Zonal Director for North-Central 1, said the intervention was particularly timely as the festive season approaches, when travel and traffic typically surge.

“The aim is to make the roads safer ahead of the Yuletide season and reduce the rising number of preventable crashes,” he said.

The event was attended by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), traditional rulers, and community representatives.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agency’s Managing Director officially flagged off the programme along the Zuba–Giri–Abaji–Lokoja Road on September 27.

Recent accident reports underline the urgency of the initiative. In May 2025, 19 people, including five children, died in a head-on collision between a Toyota Hummer bus and an articulated truck on the Lokoja–Obajana Road, caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking. Earlier in February, seven people, including four students of the Federal University Lokoja, were killed in a crash involving a timber truck and a shuttle bus along the Okene–Lokoja–Abuja Road.

Other crashes recorded in April and August claimed several lives due to brake failure and excessive speed.

These recurring tragedies, Abdulrahim said, reinforce the importance of proactive maintenance and public awareness to ensure Nigeria’s highways are not only motorable but also safe for all users.