The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Marrakech aimed at advancing road infrastructure safety across West Africa.

The MOU was signed by iRAP Acting CEO Greg Smith and Lateef Ramoni, Secretary of WARSO, 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.

It is estimated that road crashes claim nearly 85,000 lives each year in WARSO countries and over 1.2 million more injuries, at a cost of USD$36.9 billion to the regional economy.

The strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in the collaborative effort to reduce road fatalities and enhance road infrastructure safety standards in the region, particularly in member states of Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.

The MOU between iRAP and WARSO establishes a framework for collaboration to enhance road safety across WARSO member countries by promoting best practices and evidence-based solutions to eliminate high-risk roads and reduce road deaths and serious injuries.

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 WARSO 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.

Greg Smith, iRAP’s Global Program Director and Acting CEO said, “iRAP is thrilled to partner with WARSO to tackle the growing challenge of road safety in West Africa. This collaboration brings together our global expertise in road safety assessments with WARSO’s deep regional knowledge and commitment to improving road safety in member countries. By combining our efforts, we are confident that we can make a real difference in reducing fatalities and improving the safety of roads for all road users.”

Lateef Ramoni, Secretary of WARSO said, “WARSO’s partnership with iRAP represents an important step forward in our mission to reduce road deaths and injuries across West Africa. This MOU will enable us to bring international safety standards and solutions to our region, helping to protect millions of lives. Together, we will work towards safer, more sustainable roads for all.”

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 WARSO member countries by 2030 stands to save an estimated 30,947 lives and nearly 10 million deaths and serious injuries over the life of road treatments, with an annual economic benefit of $12.9 billion to the region’s economy – a benefit of $14.90 for every $1 spent.

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

For WARSO:
Lateef Ramoni, Secretary
Email: lateefolawe@gmail.com
Tel:        +234 80 67 64 33 44