Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who commissioned the Plant, said it was a campaign promise fulfilled of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
He also said the current administration remained committed to the development of the road infrastructure beyond the signs and signage, adding that all contractors handling road projects in the country would be fully mobilised to complete them so that the highways are made safer for all.
He said during the 2015 electioneering campaigns, APC listed in its manifesto, the need to provide signs and signage on the nation’s highways so as to reduce road carnages.
Mustapha, said: “I make bold to say that in our 2015 campaign manifesto, we had indicated the need for the provision of signs and signages on our Nigerian highways.
“This is because we were conscious of the fact that so much of the lives of precious ones were lost as a result of inadequate facilities and furniture on our roads. We have fulfilled that campaign promise by the establishment of the Plant,” he said.
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While urging Nigerians to put into good use the essential road furniture being installed nationwide, the SGF warned that any acts of vandalism towards the infrastructures by placement of bills, destruction or defacing of other types, would be met with stiffer penalty, saying no one would be spared of deliberate attempt to cause the death or maiming of another citizen.
He has accordingly directed all enforcement agencies to look out for vandals and ensure that they were brought to justice.
He also called on the state governments to use only standard road signs and signals and ensure that they are procured from the FRSC to make the standards doubly sure.
The Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, lamented that a survey conducted by the Corps in 2014 on Nigeria highway signage and signals revealed that the nation’s highways were characterised by improper signs and signals leading to confusing motorists than aiding them.
He added that there was also the problem of vandalism and defaced signs and signals, outright destruction of some, a foreign mix of signs and signals, scanty or total lack of signs and signals and improperly placed or different shades of and colours of signs and signals.
He, therefore, commended the effort of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, for collaborating with the FRSC in ensuring that the signs and signals were installed on the nation’s highways.
Oyeyemi said with the policy pronouncement of the Minister, the Plant has been able to produce about 6,000 various road signs which are already installed on segments of the Federal highways with testimonies of their quality and effectiveness by motorists.
He noted that the Plant has the capacity to meet the nation’s road signs needs, saying its production is aligned to the United Nations Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which aim is to increase road safety through standardising road signs, traffic lights and road markings international for ease of interpretation.
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