The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD), an environmental rights and human rights advocacy organisation in Nigeria, has expressed concern over the persistent and tragic loss of lives resulting from recurring road traffic accidents along the Waterside-Ogbor Hill axis of Aba, Abia State.
According to FENRAD, the corridor remains one of the most accident-prone areas in the state, with frequent incidents involving heavy vehicular congestion, uncontrolled traffic movement, pedestrian exposure, and poor road safety infrastructure.
“These recurring accidents have led to avoidable deaths, serious injuries, and destruction of livelihoods, raising serious human rights and public safety concerns,” said Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD in a statement.
FENRAD observes that the Waterside–Ogbor Hill axis serves as a major commercial and transportation hub, experiencing intense vehicular and pedestrian traffic daily. The absence of modern traffic engineering solutions – such as flyovers, overhead pedestrian bridges, and effective traffic flow systems – has significantly worsened congestion and increased the risk of fatal accidents.
In view of this, FENRAD calls on the Abia State Government, under the leadership of Governor Alex Chioma Otti, to urgently prioritise the provision of critical infrastructure, including the construction of flyovers and pedestrian (overhead) bridges, as well as comprehensive road redesigns to effectively separate vehicular and human traffic.
These interventions are necessary to improve vehicle traffic movement, reduce congestion, and eliminate dangerous conflict points along the corridor.
The organisation further urges the government to commission an independent traffic, environmental, and social impact assessment to guide sustainable solutions. Complementary measures should include modern traffic control systems, proper signage, speed-calming mechanisms, strict enforcement of road safety regulations, and public sensitisation.
FENRAD emphasises that infrastructure development must be proactive, inclusive, and people centered. The right to life, safety, and a secure environment is fundamental, and no community should continue to endure preventable deaths due to inadequate planning or delayed government response.
“Road safety is a human rights issue. When citizens repeatedly lose their lives due to poor traffic management and unsafe infrastructure, urgent corrective action becomes a moral and constitutional obligation,” added Nwafor.
The organisation calls on relevant ministries, road safety agencies, urban planners, and traffic management authorities to collaborate transparently and act without delay.
FENRAD also encourages civil society organisations, community leaders, and the media to sustain advocacy efforts toward lasting and life-saving solutions.
The group says it remains steadfast in its commitment to environmental justice, sustainable development, and the protection of human rights and will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that residents of Aba and Abia State enjoy safe, efficient, and humane transportation infrastructure.