The Kwapda Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Foundation has announced plans to host the first African conference dedicated to road crash victims and their families, as part of activities marking its 14th anniversary.
Speaking during a press conference at the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the founder of the KRSD Foundation, Hon. Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem (CFR, JP), said the International Road Crash Victims African Conference (IRCVAC 2025) will gather stakeholders from across Africa and the world under the theme “Gathering Africa and the World for Road Crash Victims.”
Justice Dongban-Mensem described the conference as a platform to amplify the voices of road crash victims, shape solutions, and mobilize collective action toward safer roads.
“IRCVAC 2025 is not just an event but about people. It is about giving road crash victims and their families a platform. It is about ensuring their experiences shape solutions and their voices lead change advocacy,” she said.
The conference, scheduled for November 2025, will feature pre-conference events such as a cycling ride, a walkathon, and a golf tournament, aimed at promoting healthier and safer mobility while showing solidarity with victims and survivors.
Highlighting the urgency of the road safety crisis, Justice Dongban-Mensem cited the World Health Organization’s 2023 Global Status Report, which places Nigeria among the countries with the highest road traffic death rates globally — 21.4 deaths per 100,000 population.
She also referenced FRSC data showing that in Q1 2024 alone, Nigeria recorded 2,733 crashes, resulting in 1,624 deaths and 8,279 injuries.
“These are not just numbers,” she stressed. “They represent fathers, mothers, children, breadwinners — lives cut short or permanently altered. For every fatality, there are families left in grief, survivors living with lifelong injuries, and communities grappling with economic and social loss.”
Justice Dongban-Mensem urged government agencies, civil society, and the private sector to collaborate in advancing safer roads, vehicles, and post-crash care in line with the global Vision Zero agenda, which seeks to eliminate road fatalities.
She also called on the media and the public to support the campaign.
“Help us tell these stories. Help us mobilize action. And above all, help us ensure that the lives lost on our roads were not in vain”, she stated.
Registration for the IRCVAC 2025 conference is now open at www.ircvac.com.ng.
