Image caption: Aubin Essaie Moussa, President of ARMFA and iRAP Acting CEO Greg Smith sign the ARMFA-iRAP MOU

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and the African Road Maintenance Fund Association (ARMFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Marrakech to collaborate in eliminating high-risk roads across the African continent. This partnership marks a significant step toward improving road safety, reducing fatalities, and enhancing sustainable road infrastructure for millions of African road users.

The MOU was signed by iRAP Acting CEO Greg Smith and Aubin Essaie Moussa, President of ARMFA during the Ten Steps to 2030 for Safer Road Infrastructure Event, a Side Event of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety underway in Morocco this week.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death and injury worldwide, with African nations disproportionately impacted by road crashes. According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, it is estimated that road crashes claim nearly 260,000 lives each year in Africa and nearly 7.4 million more injuries, at a cost of USD$148.9 billion to the economy.

The MOU outlines a framework for collaboration between iRAP, a global leader in road infrastructure safety, and ARMFA, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of road maintenance and development in Africa, to identify and address high-risk roads, prioritize road safety measures, and improve the overall safety of infrastructure and maintenance practices on African roads.

By promoting best practices, capacity building, and evidence-based solutions, the partnership aims to make African roads safer for all users, especially vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Key activities include building the capacity of road safety professionals, conducting iRAP assessments on critical highways, developing Safer Roads Investment Plans for prioritised investment to upgrade high-risk locations, the creation of annual action plans and communications strategies, and sharing knowledge, technology, and data to improve road safety.

The agreement activities will support the achievement of UN Targets 3 and 4 in ARMFA member countries, including ensuring all new roads are built to a 3-star or better standard for all road users, and more than 75% of travel is on the equivalent of 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030. The MOU will also support countries African Road Safety Charter developed by the African Union.

Greg Smith, iRAP’s Global Program Director and Acting CEO said, “iRAP is delighted to partner with ARMFA to address the crippling burden of road traffic injuries in Africa, and the risks posed by unsafe road infrastructure. Working together, we aim to bring iRAP’s global expertise in road safety assessments together with the experience of ARMFA’s 35 member countries to ensure that investment in road maintenance is also an investment in safer roads .”

Aubin Essaie Moussa, President of ARMFA said, “This collaboration is a critical milestone in our ongoing efforts to improve road safety in Africa. By addressing high-risk roads and enhancing road maintenance, we aim to significantly reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries, which is a top priority for ARMFA. This partnership will create lasting impact, with the potential to save millions of lives and serious injuries across the continent.”

According to iRAP Safety Insights Explorer, the achievement of UN Target 4 for the equivalent of 75 per cent of travel to be on 3-star or better roads for all road users in African countries by 2030 stands to save an estimated 98,265 lives and nearly 56.3 million deaths and serious injuries over the life of road treatments, with an annual economic benefit of $52.4 billion to the region’s economy – a benefit of $9.90 for every $1 spent.

– Ends –

Download media release here

For iRAP:
Judy Williams, Global Programme and Communications Manager
Email:   judy.williams@irap.org
Mob:     +61 400 782 204

For ARMFA:
Aubin Essaie Moussa, President
Email:   esmoa@yahoo.fr
Tel:    +227 99 81 54 54