Statement by Mr. Antonio Pedro at the 3rd Kofi Annan Road Safety Award - Award Ceremony

 

• H. E. the Right Honourable Prime Minister Russel Mmiso Dlamini; the Kingdom of Eswatini,

• Hon. Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe; Minister for Public Works and Transport of the Kingdom of Eswatini,

• Honorable Ministers,

• Mr. Jean Todt; United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety,

• Mr. George Wachira; United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Eswatini,

• Colleagues of the United Nations,

• Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am delighted to be in the Kingdom of Eswatini for the Third Kofi Annan Road Safety Award.

Let me at the outset thank His Majesty King Mswati III and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini for hosting this event. This is eloquent testimony of Eswatini’s efforts and commitment to saving lives on Africa’s roads.

Permit me also to thank the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, and the leadership of the Kofi Annan Foundation for partnering with the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, ECA and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Eswatini to organise this important event. I commend Mr. Jean Todt for prioritising the safety of roads in Africa since his appointment as Special Envoy. I also commend the Kofi Annan Foundation for being involved in this award initiative, which will sustain the legacy of Mr. Kofi Annan as a champion of Road Safety.

Finally, allow me to warmly congratulate the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Senegal, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Cameroon, and the Republic of South Africa, for the achievements that led to their selection for the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award 2025.

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Africa is experiencing the highest road traffic fatality rates globally, and the World Health Organisation estimates that Africa is the only region where road traffic deaths increased between 2010 and 2021. Since 2010, there has been a concerning 17% increase in road fatalities on the continent. A review of the status of implementation of the African Road Safety Action Plan (2011-2020) by ECA and the African Union Commission showed that only 43% of measures related to the safety of vehicles as well as those that deal with the behaviour of road users were fully implemented by member States. Similarly, only 22% of measures related to road safety management and 25% of those that deal with road infrastructure were implemented.

Many challenges plague the safety of roads in Africa. Permit me to focus my attention on two of these challenges that I consider to be critical.

First, lack of sustainable funding is a major constraint to the effective functioning of most road safety organisations and initiatives in Africa. It is unacceptable that many road safety bodies on the continent are not funded through the national budget. According to the WHO global status report on road safety, 11 out of 47 Lead Road Safety Agencies in African countries (23%) are not funded through national budgets.

The pace of infrastructure development and the adoption of safety technologies are directly influenced by the availability of funding. Road safety initiatives often must compete with other government priorities for funding, which limits investment in critical safety measures. This is particularly challenging for developing countries, that have limited resources to overcome a myriad of development challenges.

African countries have adopted targets for road safety finance but rarely meet these targets, that include allocating 5% of road maintenance resources and 10% of road investment to road safety.  Although multiple funding sources are used for road safety in Africa, countries on the continent continue to over-rely on donor support.

Governments alone cannot solve all road safety problems in Africa. In this regard, the private sector can step in by contributing financially and providing technical expertise, as part of its corporate social responsibility and from a business perspective. The private sector can finance road safety by investing in fronter technologies, vehicle inspection centers and upgrading roads to improve their safety ratings in line with recommended UN targets.

To close road safety financing gaps, I encourage African countries to harness innovative financing mechanisms as well as existing road safety facilities such as the UN Road Safety Fund. I am pleased to highlight that ECA has harnessed the Fund to implement projects in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. We are committed to supporting more African countries to develop projects that are approved for funding by the UN facility.

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The second challenge I would like to highlight is that of the legal framework for road safety in Africa. Governments are responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of existing laws, standards and directives regulating roads, vehicles and road users. This is important in the context of the projected increase in the continent’s vehicle fleet as well as investment in roads.

ECA’s research has shown that implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would lead to a surge in the importation of used vehicles in Africa. The research shows that over 2 million trucks would be required to accommodate the increased demand for road freight because of implementing the Agreement. Africa is also experiencing a surge in road construction. This would have serious road safety and environmental implications, in the absence of strong and enforced regulations on road safety.

Addressing the negative impact of the road transport sector in Africa requires the improvement of national regulations, most of which are outdated and no longer fit for purpose, to global standards, and most importantly the enforcement of these regulations. As such, ECA has supported the Kingdom of Eswatini and The Gambia to review their national road safety regulatory frameworks, resulting in recommendations for improvement. Similarly, ECA has supported Rwanda to adopt UN standards for helmets and to establish a facility to test and certify the quality of helmets.

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have the tools to address road safety challenges in Africa, particularly the African Road Safety Action Plan for the period 2021-2030. This continental Plan is aligned with the Global Plan of Action for the UN Road Safety Decade (2021-2030) as well as African Union’s Road Safety Charter and UN Road Safety conventions. I encourage member States to use the continental plan to develop or revise their national plans.

Let me end by assuring you that ECA is committed to supporting member States to reduce deaths and injuries on their roads. We will also continue to track the performance of member States in implementing recommended road safety measures and to recognize those that contribute significantly to reducing road deaths on the continent through the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award.

Thank you for your attention.