By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has flagged off its 2026 Ember Months Campaign with a decentralised advocacy drive aimed at drastically reducing road traffic crashes and achieving zero fatalities across the state during the festive season and beyond.
The Chairman of OYRTMA, Major Adekoya Adesagba (rtd), disclosed this on Thursday during the 2026 Ember Months Media Briefing held at the Secretariat, Ibadan. The campaign is themed “Safe Road, Safe Life: Drive Responsibly.”
Major Adesagba explained that the campaign is built on five strategic pillars: advocacy, enforcement, emergency response, inter-agency collaboration, and monitoring and evaluation.
According to him, enforcement activities will be intensified, while emergency response mechanisms will be strengthened through improved collaboration with relevant agencies and a more effective referral and monitoring system.
He identified over-speeding, driving against traffic, drunk driving, overloading, and the use of mobile phones while driving as major causes of road crashes during the Ember Months, noting that these factors often contribute to the seasonal rise in traffic accidents.
The Chairman said OYRTMA would collaborate with religious leaders across the state to promote road safety awareness, adding that road safety messages would be incorporated into sermons and other activities in places of worship.
He disclosed that the statewide campaign will commence on Monday, November 2, 2026, with a road walk and continue through January 2027 with sustained sensitisation and public enlightenment activities.
Major Adesagba explained that extending the campaign beyond the festive season is necessary to address the heavy return traffic that passes through Oyo State, particularly from northern parts of the country.
He added that OYRTMA would work closely with the Park Management System (PMS), the Nigeria Police Force, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), and other law enforcement agencies to ensure coordinated operations and effective traffic management during the period.
The Chairman also announced the activation of Oyo State’s emergency traffic lines, 615 and 0912 888 8878, to enable members of the public to promptly report traffic emergencies, road obstructions, and other traffic-related incidents.
He urged commercial drivers, private motorists, and other road users to embrace the message of the campaign, stressing that road safety is a shared responsibility.
Major Adesagba called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure that the Ember Months are remembered for safe travels, joyful celebrations, and not avoidable road fatalities.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the Park Management System in Oyo State, the Deputy Chairman, Jimoh Tajudeen, appealed to motorists, commercial drivers, transport operators, and passengers to support the campaign by complying with traffic regulations and embracing safe road practices.
He stressed the importance of collective responsibility among all road users, noting that adherence to traffic rules and safety measures remains essential to reducing accidents and ensuring safer journeys throughout the festive period.
