By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has received the Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Award 2026, in recognition of its commitment to integrity, transparency, accountability, compliance and professionalism in public service.
The award was presented to the Corps at an event organised by Verbatim Magazine on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The recognition was based on editorial profiling derived from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) 2025, which identified institutions among the top 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.
The award highlights the importance of ethical leadership, institutional compliance and accountability in strengthening public institutions and improving service delivery to Nigerians.
Receiving the award on behalf of the FRSC, Deputy Corps Commander and Corps Public Education Officer, Headquarters, Abuja, Ohaeri Osondu, expressed appreciation to Verbatim Magazine for the recognition.
Osondu described the award as a consolidation of the values and principles that underpin the operations of the Federal Road Safety Corps, stressing that integrity, transparency and accountability remain essential to the Corps’ mandate.
He said the recognition was not an invitation for complacency but a wake-up call for the Corps to do more in the discharge of its responsibilities to Nigerians.
According to him, the FRSC remains committed to strengthening its institutional structures and improving its capacity to provide effective road safety services across the country.
“We stand for integrity, transparency and accountability,” he said.
Osondu also highlighted some of the developments within the Corps since Shehu Mohammed was appointed Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 20, 2024.
He said the appointment had ushered in what he described as a new phase of institutional development within the Corps, with emphasis on strengthening its internal structures, welfare, operational capacity and engagement with members of the public.
According to him, under the leadership of the Corps Marshal, the FRSC has pursued a number of initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of the organisation and enhancing the welfare and professionalism of its personnel.
Among the developments he highlighted were efforts to balance appointments within the Corps, strengthen its institutional framework and consolidate the retirement benefits of FRSC personnel.
He also mentioned the establishment of an armed squad for the Corps, the harmonisation of Marshal ranks into the officer cadre and the launch of the Corps’ mobile application as some of the initiatives undertaken to improve the organisation.
Osondu further cited the introduction of breakfast meetings and town-hall conferences as part of efforts to strengthen communication, engagement and interaction between the Corps, stakeholders and members of the public.
He said such initiatives were important in ensuring that the FRSC remained responsive to emerging challenges in road safety management while creating platforms for stakeholders and members of the public to engage with the Corps.
The FRSC spokesman said the Corps would continue to build on the progress recorded under its current leadership and remain focused on its statutory responsibility of promoting safety on Nigerian roads.
“We will continue to do our best and make sure this Corps moves forward,” he said.
He further stressed that the award should be regarded as an additional responsibility rather than an opportunity for the Corps to become complacent.
“It’s a recognition, and we don’t look at it as something to just relax. We will not rest on our oars. We’ll continue to forge forward and become even better and stronger,” he said.
The Verbatim Pillars of Integrity in Public Service Award 2026 was designed to recognise public institutions identified through editorial profiling based on the ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard 2025.
The recognition of the FRSC comes against the backdrop of the critical role the Corps plays in promoting road safety, enforcing traffic regulations, educating road users and reducing crashes and fatalities on Nigerian roads.
Over the years, the Corps has remained a major institution in Nigeria’s road transport safety architecture, working with government agencies, transport unions, motorists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to improve compliance with road safety regulations.
The recognition also places emphasis on the relationship between institutional integrity and effective public service delivery.
For the FRSC, the award represents recognition of its stated commitment to ethical conduct, institutional compliance and professionalism, while also placing an expectation on the Corps to sustain and improve those standards.
The Corps is expected to continue strengthening its internal systems, embracing technology, improving personnel welfare and deepening engagement with road users and other stakeholders as part of efforts to achieve safer roads.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenges of road traffic crashes, congestion, indiscipline among road users and other factors affecting transportation safety, the role of institutions such as the FRSC remains significant.
The award ceremony therefore provided an opportunity to acknowledge the Corps’ institutional efforts while reinforcing the importance of integrity and accountability in the delivery of its road safety mandate.
With the recognition, the FRSC leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to building on existing reforms and ensuring that the Corps continues to move forward in the areas of professionalism, transparency, accountability, technological innovation and public engagement.
