August 25^th 2017. The ECOWAS Commission is to partner with the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) for the desired road safety awareness while creating an atmosphere of safer roads in the region.

Both entities are also to work together for the harmonization of policies at national and regional levels in order to forge common road safety standards across the region.

These disclosures were made on the 25^th of August 2017 when the President of WARSO Mamadou Sidiki Konate led a delegation of road safety stakeholders on a visit to the ECOWAS Commission president Marcel de Souza in Abuja, Nigeria.

Konate’s visit was to convey a status report of the activities, strides, prospects and challenges of WARSO since its inauguration to the ECOWAS Commission president.

He solicited for the support of the Commission to enable the organization’s continuity of programmes especially with regards to synergies in infrastructural development.

The WARSO boss noted that the road safety organization wants its mandate to be pursued vigorously in the aftermath of decisions reached in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire 2016.

“Road Safety practices are not at the expected level. Some countries are more advanced while some are not. But no nation is self-sufficient. Sometimes if our neighbor does not carry out some action, it may be difficult to implement certain policies in our countries” He added.

He listed the pertinent issues that needed the attention of leaders to include the lack of lead agencies, consistency of attendance of meetings by Member States as well as the unfortunate scenario of irregular payment of Membership Dues by Member States.

He also urged that particular attention be paid to the African Charter on road safety which stipulates that a reasonable percentage of countries’ national budgets be dedicated to the financing of road safety. The laudable objective, noted could be achieved once there is political will and a conscientious citizenry as we enter the last phase of a decade of action on the matter.

President de Souza pledged the support of the ECOWAS Commission for the laudable activities of WARSO and enlisted to back the organisation’s wish to engage with the ECOWAS Parliament in aid of its programmes.

President de Souza also granted the request of the WARSO boss for its invitation to the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government meeting as observers.

“I want to hear that by next year, accidents have reduced on our roads. The ECOWAS Commission is driving many processes having to do with safety on our roads” He maintained.

It was also disclosed during the meeting that the studies on Lagos-Abidjan corridor is being financed by the ECOWAS Commission while the road safety audit is part of the Lagos-Abidjan project which is also supported by the World Bank.

The WARSO boss was accompanied to the ECOWAS Commission by the Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank Country Office, Nairobi Mrs Tawia Ado-Ashong, the representative of the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria Christopher Ademoluti as well as the Focal Person WARSO Secretariat, Abuja Lateef Ramoni.