The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) opened a landmark African media forum on road safety today, September 22, 2026. The gathering marks the start of a continent-wide effort to draft Africa’s first official media guidelines for reporting on road safety and transport policy.
Fatalities Rising Across Africa
Road deaths are surging across the continent even as they drop in other parts of the world. The WHO African Region loses nearly 250,000 lives annually—roughly one death every two minutes. While the region accounts for only 3% of global vehicles, it suffers 20% of all road fatalities. Nigeria records the highest casualties in Africa, with more than 36,000 deaths every year.
“This is about closing the gap between science and story. It’s about correcting misperceptions on an urgent and preventable health crisis and driving accountability for action that saves lives. Media leaders can change the conversation, and ultimately this drives the uptake of policies we know prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” says Dr. Pavel Ursu, WHO Representative in Nigeria.
Rethinking How Crashes Are Reported
Current news coverage often treats fatal crashes as isolated personal accidents rather than systemic public policy issues. Reporters routinely omit factors like faulty road designs, weak enforcement, and inadequate transport laws. The upcoming guidelines will focus on the Safe Systems approach, which prioritizes forgiving road infrastructure and safer mobility options.
“It’s about building safe streets for people, not fast-moving motor vehicles. It’s about making safety the top priority. The Safe Systems approach acknowledges that humans will always make mistakes on the roads, so our transport systems must absorb these errors in ways that ensure people are not killed or seriously injured,” says Dr. Nhan Tran, Head of WHO’s Violence and Injury Prevention Unit.
“Through this forum, CJID and the WHO will work with editors, journalists, and influencers across Africa to build a shared, evidence-based standard for covering road safety, so that reporting starts holding power to account and becomes part of the solution, not just a record of the loss,” says Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, CEO, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.
Regional Newsrooms Join the Push
The three-day Abuja workshop brings together 20 news executives, reporters, and creators from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Participating outlets include the BBC, AFP, Deutsche Welle, Xinhua, Premium Times, Nation Media Group, and SABC. The final guidelines will be rolled out in mid-2027.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the initiative aligns with broader public health and environmental targets. Better public transit, protected walkways, and safer speed limits not only prevent fatal crashes, but also cut urban carbon emissions and improve air quality across African cities.
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