TotalEnergies Steps up Safety Interventions in Nigeria, Gifts 4,000 Helmets to Motorcyclists
Peter Uzoho
Major oil marketer, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc, yesterday intensified its safety intervention measures in Nigeria with the launch of its Helmet 4 Life initiative in Ajegunle, Lagos, in alignment with the United Nations Global Road Safety initiative.
The company disclosed that it would distribute 4,000 helmets to commercial motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada riders, throughout the country, as part of the Helmet 4 Life initiative.
The Managing Director of TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc, Dr. Samba Seye, who was represented at the occasion by the General Manager, Retail and Gas, Abdullahi Umar, said the initiative is aimed at providing 100,000 motorcycle helmets that meet the most stringent safety standards across 40 countries spanning Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
He expressed the company’s excitement to kick off the significant campaign, which he noted had already seen its initial deployment in other TotalEnergies’ affiliates.
Seye stated that, “With the support of our local affiliates and the TotalEnergies Foundation programme, this initiative aims to provide 100,000 motorcycle helmets that meet the most stringent safety standards across 40 countries spanning Africa, Asia, and the Americas..
“In Nigeria, we are set to distribute 4,000 helmets to the two-wheeler riders popularly known as Okada riders as part of the Helmet 4 Life initiative throughout the country.
“The objectives of this initiative go beyond helmet distribution. These include; Making quality helmets available to riders of motorized two-wheelers, to contribute to the prevention of fatalities sustained in road accidents involving them.”
He added that the campaign was also intended to actively raise awareness among riders, both general public and professionals, about wearing protective equipment, risk situations, vehicle maintenance and compliance with rules.
According to the managing director, statistics reveal that 28 per cent of fatal road accidents worldwide involve the two-wheeler riders, with some countries experiencing as high as 75 per cent of road accidents.
“In Nigeria, two-wheeler accidents rank as the second-highest cause of road accidents in the country. The ‘Helmet 4 Life’ initiative is strategically targeted at countries where a significant portion of the population lacks access to quality and affordable helmets”, Seye pointed out.
Through the collaborative efforts of TotalEnergies Global Group, he said TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc had been proactive in local road accident prevention and safety initiatives via the TotalEnergies Foundation.
By undertaking this operation, he said they were not only fulfilling their commitments but also making valuable contributions towards the objectives of the ‘Helmet 4 Life’ initiative and towards creating safer roads for all.
