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By Chinenye Anuforo
Experts at the recently held inDrive Safety Education Summit 2.0 have called for technology-driven collaboration, enhanced digital safety education, and standardized data regulations as the bedrock for addressing pervasive security challenges within Nigeria’s burgeoning ride-hailing sector.
Stakeholders from transportation and law enforcement emphasised that only a cohesive, technologically integrated approach can ensure the safety of urban mobility users.
Opening the summit, Timothy Oladimeji, Country Representative for inDrive Nigeria, highlighted the platform’s commitment to leveraging digital innovation. “This summit was conceived with the aim of fashioning out insights that would help the platform to work with other stakeholders with a view to ensuring safety of both drivers and riders while also bridging users education gap about its safety features,” Oladimeji stated. He stated that inDrive has invested heavily on technology to improve its safety features such that even before a rider gets on a trip, safety is already guaranteed.
Delivering the keynote, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, represented by Engr. Adebayo Olusoji (Director, PTCS), lauded inDrive’s initiative as a testament to collective commitment towards safer digital environments. At a panel session titled “Strengthening Driver & Passenger Trust,” Osiyemi stressed the imperative to bolster collaborations and address the evolving challenges of urban mobility safety.
He articulated the critical need to prioritize strengthening interagency coordination through shared data systems among government bodies, transport authorities, law enforcement, and private sector players. “Creating streamlined communication channels and fostering a spirit of collaboration among these entities would open doors to innovative solutions that address the pressing issues of traffic congestion, road safety, and emergency response,” he asserted. He added, “We have seen the impact that enhanced coordination can have in mitigating crises and ensuring quick and effective responses to emergencies.
Whether it’s through shared data systems, joint training exercises, or collaborative policy-making, the benefits of interagency coordination are vast. It is time we leverage our collective knowledge and resources to create a harmonized approach to urban mobility.”
He further emphasized the necessity to standardize safety regulations across all digital transport platforms, ensuring consistent high safety levels regardless of operator or mode. “In our quest for standardization, we must also remain adaptive, as technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace. Our regulations must incorporate modern advancements such as smart mobility solutions and emerging safety technologies to ensure that we are not only reactive but proactive in our approach to improving urban mobility and safety,” Osiyemi declared.
Speaking during the panel, Superintendent Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Corp, Lagos Command, Ayodele Ologun, detailed FRSC’s digital advancements. He revealed that the agency has “upscaled its service delivery to Nigerians especially with the introduction of the FRSC app for any individual to report if there is an accident or determine the speed of the vehicle in question.”
Similarly, Benjamin Hundeyin, Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Police Force, Lagos Command (represented by DSP Adedayo Abu Sadiq), affirmed the Force’s commitment to citizen safety. Abu Sodiq stated that the Police would continue to collaborate with ride-hailing platforms and other stakeholders, implying the importance of data exchange and integrated security frameworks.
Crucially, Maryanne Momoh-Ige, Country Public Policy & Government Affairs Manager for inDrive Nigeria, underscored a fundamental IT and policy intersection: the need for government to formulate public policy that protects the ethical disclosure of data. She stressed that such a framework is vital to “protect the passengers, the companies, and their fundamental rights to data privacy.”
The summit also featured a “Fireside Chat” on “Innovation in App-Based Mobility Safety,” highlighting the industry’s continuous drive for technological solutions, including a session with Folake Owoduni, winner of the 2023 Aurora Tech award.
