Dangote Cement Ibese Plant has taken a bold step to curb road accidents during the bustling “ember months” with an intensive road safety awareness campaign for commercial drivers and motorcycle riders in Ogun State.
The event, held at the Ilaro Motor Park over the weekend, drew hundreds of drivers and commercial motorcyclists from Ilaro and surrounding communities.
The programme focused on the dangers of overspeeding and the critical importance of understanding truck blind spots, which are often implicated in road accidents.
Speaking at the event, Assistant Corps Commander Sulaiman Kolawole Oluwadumiye, Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), warned that speeding remains one of the leading causes of fatal crashes.
“Speed is sweet—the engine feels powerful, the road looks open, and you feel in control. But the same speed that feels good for one minute can destroy a family in another second,” he cautioned.
“The road has no respect for confidence or experience. There is no medal for the fastest driver, only sorrow for the careless one.”
Oluwadumiye also educated participants on the four major blind spots around trucks—the front, both sides, and rear—emphasizing that riders who unknowingly enter these zones risk deadly collisions.
Using live demonstrations with motorcycles and a stationed truck, he showed how even the most attentive truck driver could miss riders in these danger zones.
Ebere Okonkwo, Health, Safety, and Environment Officer at Dangote Cement Transport (Nigeria & Pan Africa), said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to safer roads and harmonious interactions between truck drivers and other road users.
“Safety is a shared responsibility,” Okonkwo said. “This programme equips road users, especially riders and drivers, with the knowledge to identify blind spots and provides them with life-saving safety kits.
Overspeeding, impatience, and miscalculations remain major causes of preventable road accidents. We urge everyone to prioritize safe driving, especially as vehicular movement peaks toward the end of the year.”
The programme included practical demonstrations led by Peter Abuad, Head of Transport and Safety at the Ibese Plant, who guided drivers and riders on how to recognize and avoid truck blind spots during lane changes and turns.
Dangote Cement also distributed protective gear, including helmets, reflective jackets, and safety goggles, to participants. Beneficiaries praised the initiative.
David Odumoye, a commercial rider, said, “Nobody is an expert on the road, no matter how long you’ve been riding. This training is very important. We thank Dangote for the initiative and the protective kits.”
Rafiu Olusegun, another rider, added, “Dangote has always cared about our welfare and safety. We will put everything we learned into practice. Nobody starts a journey planning to lose their life.”
Officials from the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) commended Dangote Cement for its continuous investments in public safety, noting that the campaign complements ongoing road safety efforts by regulatory agencies.
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