Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is speaking out after two friends of world-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua died in a tragic road accident in Nigeria. Joshua was traveling with the victims, Ayodele Kelvin Olu and Gami Sina, when their vehicle crashed on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
The senator is using the incident to push for highway reforms, saying that the country's roads are "corridors of sorrow." She's calling on the Federal Road Safety Corps to enforce traffic and safety regulations, and for the government to establish rest-in stations and lay-bys along highways to reduce fatigue-related accidents.
Akpoti-Uduaghan is also advocating for a dedicated Highway Emergency Rescue Team, equipped with ambulances and rapid-response personnel to attend to accident victims in real-time. She says that many lives are lost not only because of accidents, but because help doesn't arrive on time.
The senator's call for highway reforms has sparked renewed debate on the need for decisive action to address the country's road safety crisis. As the nation mourns the loss of two lives, Akpoti-Uduaghan's message serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for sustained reforms to prevent further tragedies on Nigeria's highways.
Joshua was traveling with three other passengers when the fatal crash occurred. The senator has expressed her sympathies to Joshua, saying that losing two close friends in such a tragic manner is devastating.
Akpoti-Uduaghan's message comes as the country is still reeling from the news of the accident. The Deputy Head of Mission of the British High Commission, Simon Field, paid a visit to Joshua at the Lagos hospital where he was receiving treatment, and both Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also visited the hospital.
President Bola Tinubu was also briefed on the accident and spoke separately with Joshua, his mother, and Abiodun, conveying his sympathies and condolences.
The incident has highlighted the need for urgent action to address the country's road safety crisis. As the nation mourns the loss of two lives, Akpoti-Uduaghan's message serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for sustained reforms to prevent further tragedies on Nigeria's highways.