28th June, 2010
Fifteen students and pupils from some schools in Lagos State, Nigeria are currently slugging it out to emerge winners in this year’ Be Road Friendly Competition’ organised by the Lagos State Government.
The competition is under the Lagos State School Traffic Advocacy programme designed to promote traffic safety education among school children in the state, while it is being put together by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport Education.
The second stage of the competition, involving 15 students, five each drawn from Senior and Junior Secondary and Primary Schools is tagged Photo Story.
The successful candidates were given cameras to identified locations within the state and take pictures of traffic challenges and proceed to proffer solutions to these traffic management issues.
At the grand finale of the competition billed for 22 July, this year, the students are expected to present their findings and defend their pictures as well as proffer solutions before the panel of judges.
Two students each will emerge winners from the junior and senior secondary and primary schools.  They will be given tickets to visit the United Kingdom, UK, for an educational tour.
At the second stage of the competition held at the School of Transport Studies, Lagos State University, LASU, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport Education, Dr. Mariam Masha, said the programme aimed at imbuing in the children basic traffic safety knowledge early in life in order to develop the right road user attitude and behaviour.
“The objectives are to catch them young on good traffic safety education; give them opportunity to actively contribute to relevant traffic management solutions for the state and help the children learn, appreciate and get better understanding of traffic rules and its regulations.       “The first and second place winners in each of the categories will visit London Transport Museum; Department for Transport and Transport for London, †she stated.
According to her, participants from the senior category are expected to take five pictures each on traffic challenge, while those in the junior secondary would take four pictures each and those in the primary section will take three pictures each.