At the international level, the Business sector of most developed nations is showing increasing ethical responsibility by joining in the global fight against road safety crisis. Also, the involvement of NGOs in road accident prevention is on the rise. Unfortunately, in the developing world, the reverse is the case. The urgent call for enhanced participation of the private sector by some international organisations involved in global road safety promotion like the WHO, World Bank, Global Road Safety Commission, FIA foundation, International Road Federation, International Red Cross/crescent Societies amongst others is yet to yield any meaningful result for road safety growth in Africa.

In reality, the complacency of the private sector in Africa to road safety crisis is having huge negative impact on the efforts of National road safety agencies. Specifically, this is the cost of doing nothing whilst contributing to increased motorisation through expanding business operations. The Carry! FAb initiative believes that to reduce Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) and the very significant social and economic impacts of it in Africa, it is necessary to build partnerships with individuals, organisations and government agencies to support the efforts of country lead road safety agencies especially for the implementation of the endorsement of meeting of experts at the 4th African Road Safety Conference, (Ghana 2007) on National First Aid programme.

The Carry! FAb partnering also recognises that scaling down the magnitude of road fatalities in Africa, will ensure that our friends, families, colleagues, employers, employees, loved ones and ourselves do not die from a highly preventable disease. Unfortunately, even with the escalating statistics on RTIs, it is doubtful if the business sector in Africa understands the financial costs that it has started to bear due to loss of productivity because of diminished/weakened workforces and the loss of customer base as road deaths and injuries is already eroding purchasing power and competent staff strength.

As such, Carry! FAb partnering is promoting simple but effective and tested partnership models that provide opportunities and good platform for the business community and NGOs to step forward and support the tasking efforts of National lead road safety agencies. Carry! FAb partnering aims to show how solutions to complex road safety problems can be addressed through enhanced community participation in road safety rescue operations and road accident prevention, yet provide win-win situation for all the partners including the business sector.

Through developing a strong network of partners, the Carry! FAb partnering is building desirable capacity for road safety by encouraging responsibility, which is a call to conscience and service. In building collaboration between the private sector and national road safety agencies in Africa on the Carry! FAb initiative, several strategies have been identified that will make the most sense to the business sector participants.

Consequently, the Carry! FAb partnering has developed a variety of solution partnership strategies to help reduce deaths and minimize injuries on the roads. Already, some of the implemented strategies of the Carry! FAb initiative have been evaluated and the lessons learnt will be used to produce good practice guidance for authorities and organisations wishing to tackle similar road safety problems in their communities.

Already, in Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSC) efforts at reducing the unpleasant statistics of road traffic injuries through a recent introduced initiative; Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) has given Carry! FAb partnering a strong platform for kick off. The RTSSS is a transport regulatory policy that stipulates minimum safety requirements for fleet operators, which include organisations, companies and road transport owners with more than five vehicles in their fleet. The PATVORA Organisation welcomes the RTSSS initiative and it is facilitating a working partnership with Carry! FAb partnering that would encourage others in the society to do more to address the problem of rescue operations for accident victims.

As such, the Carry! FAb partnering intends to partner with this bold initiative of the FRSC and will build upon the experiences from RTSSS to go further by building partnerships with a range of business sector participants, local authorities and external and local development partners, service providers in education, health, social care and orientation. Effective community involvement will be key in the development and delivery of these strategies and a formal collaboration with the FRSC will help produce a comprehensive strategy and delivery plan for the National FA programme.

An effective FRSC/Carry! FAb partnering will contribute to the global movement against road safety crisis through partnership principles and standards that should underpin many road safety problems. This nature of partnership is expected to facilitate knowledge sharing and the application of good practice in road safety for replication by other willing National agencies.

At the local level, the PATVORA Organisation is also assisting the Carry! FAb partnering to sign partnership agreements with some NGOs, petrol stations and local government authorities in Delta state. These measures will take over PATVORA’s facilities and arrangements of public training on FA.

Also, with the assistance of PATVORA, the Carry! FAb partnering is proposing a collaborative initiative with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), WHO, UNECA, AU etc. These efforts are geared at helping these agencies demonstrate in practical ways their respective commitments to road casualty reduction. For instance, in Nigeria, we hope these organisations are expected to support the Carry! FAb partnering through using the existing National Youth Service Corps (NYSC/FRSC) road safety clubs in the fight against the global road safety crisis in all the local council areas of Nigeria.

A practical illustration of Benefits of Partnership Working is a partnership negotiation between PATVORA and a major GSM Communication network for the provision of a 24 hour computerised accident victims’ Help line Centre with Nigerian road network digital screen that will be managed by Carry! FAb partnering. The Communication network is expected to fund the Help line Centre and provide toll free help lines for network subscribers. The help lines will assist by-standers and accident victims to contact the Help line Centre at no charge. The Help line Centre which will be situated in Abuja will not fund treatment of road traffic victims but will assist victims of road crash to contact the Police, FRSC and emergency agencies within the crash environment for prompt assistance. Also, the Help line Centre will through the PATVORA volunteer network, offer tracing facilities for locating accident victim’s family and employers. The Help line Centre project is a strategic development partnership that will accelerate road safety growth in Nigeria and deliver favourable results for the Communication Network.

For further information on how to get involved click here or for information on benefits of partnership, please contact Chibuikem at info@carryfab.org. We will appreciate your support with donations of campaign materials, time, expertise, help and friendship.

Our current partners

Federal Road Safety Commission (Nigeria)
The Federal Road Safety Commission (Corps) has responsibilities for policymaking, organization and administration of road safety in Nigeria. The Management and officers of the FRSC provided the guidance and lessons for the Carry! FAb initiative. The expectation is that the FRSC would take over the strategies of the Carry! FAb for the implementation of a National FA programme under the visionary leadership of Mr. Osita Chidoka, an ardent supporter of community approach to rescue operations and the major motivator of the Carry! FAb advocacy.

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)
GRSP is a major global partnership between business, civil society and governmental organizations collaborating to improve road safety conditions around the world. GRSP partners have collaborated and coordinated road safety activities with initial attention focused on the following countries: Ghana, South Africa, India, Malaysia Thailand, Vietnam, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Costa Rica, Brazil, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Through the PATVORA Organisation, the GRSP has supported the Carry! FAb initiative with hundreds of copies of GRSP Focus publication on first Aid. A valuable resource for awareness creation and training on first aid issues.

lifeliveit.org

Life. Live it is an initiative of British Red Cross. It is a major campaign to inspire young people to learn first aid. The campaign aims to promote first aid knowledge and skills among young people, and calls on the government to increase first aid education in schools. Life. Live it has assisted the Carry! FAb initiative through the PATVORA Organisation with DVD resources on first aid training.

PATVORA First Aid!
The aim of PATVORA first aid centre is to ensure that at least one person in every ten Nigerian road users is trained in lifesaving skills and that every Nigerian road user be within minutes of a first aider. The PATVORA Organisation is the potent force behind the Carry! FAb initiative.

Women-go-for safety
Is a Delta State Nigerian based NGO. It is an association of female volunteers for kids safety. The women are gainfully employed in the banks, civil service etc. They take care of school children during rush hours in the mornings and evenings on school days. Every month each member is expected to volunteer 30 minutes of a day. The women go to some select schools and stay at the school gates to calm traffic. The NGO collaborates with the FRSC command of Delta State, the PATVORA Organisation and wives of some top ranking officials of the state government. It is a wonderful effort and example of community involvement in road safety. All members of Women-go-for safety have automatic volunteer membership status of the Carry! FAb initiative and they support First training in schools and petrol stations.

RTSSS Nigeria
Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) is a new transport regulatory policy in Nigeria, an initiative of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) that stipulates minimum safety requirements for fleet operators. The provision of the RTSSS requires that the in organisations and companies with more than five vehicles should operate and maintain a comprehensive vehicle maintenance policy and also establish fully functional safety units, headed by a qualified, competent and experienced safety manager. The Carry! FAb initiative has initiated discussion on partnership with the RTSSS

Youth for Safety (YFS)
YFS is a comprehensive community initiative targeting violence and injury reduction in the Delta State. YFS utilises its resources and energy for sensitisation on violence reduction and injury prevention. Its efforts have contributed greatly to public safety and neighborhood revitalisation especially in Asaba the Delta State capital. YFS has been very supportive to Carry! FAb with audiovisual facilities, weekend public campaigns and volunteering.

MICHAEL OJUGBANA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The Foundation’s interest addresses issues of kids with disability especially those born with multiple disabilities or affected by severe road crashes. The foundation is presently funding campaign activities and on line programmes of the Carry! FAb initiative

Xposures Ltd
efany! (IT Service Providers)
Nigerian media
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Delta State Road Safety Club