The Ghana Football Association through the GFA Foundation has joined forces with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) to launch a Road Safety Campaign aimed at raising awareness about road safety in the country.

The President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku and the acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ing. David Osafo Adonteng, launched the campaign at the Headquarters of the Football Association on Wednesday December 4, 2024.

In his welcome address, General Secretary, Prosper Harrison Addo (Esq), underscored the GFA's commitment to working closely with the Road Safety Authority to help safeguard lives by deploying several campaign strategies to reduce the carnage on the roads.

The GFA-NRSA Road Safety Awareness Campaign is a collaborative initiative between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) aimed at raising awareness about road safety in Ghana.

Through the power of football, the campaign seeks to reduce road traffic accidents and its related fatalities and injuries in Ghana targeting young people who are mostly at risk of road accidents and also consumers of football.

The GFA has put all its football products and its related platforms, channels and logistics at the disposal of the National Road Safety Authority to use for effective road safety education and awareness for the greater good of the Ghanaian people.

As part of the initiative, the GFA and NRSA will roll out a series of activities, including Defensive and Refresher Drivers Training for Football fans, Clubs and the communities.

It also aims to utilize football as a platform to spread road safety messages among players, football fans and the communities through various media and events.

Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku expressed his delight about the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective effort, especially from football clubs, to ensure the campaign's success.

“This partnership is mutually beneficial. It concerns everybody here and beyond, and it’s the reason all of us must pay attention to this campaign and go out as proud ambassadors of this road safety campaign,” President Simeon-Okraku said

“We will do whatever it takes, using our football products, football space, and our social media presence as proud ambassadors to end road accidents. Let us use our football vehicle to the best of our ability and show our friends from the National Road Safety that indeed football can make a change."

The acting Director-General David Osafo Adonteng revealed the alarming and disturbing statistics surrounding road accidents and urged football clubs and players to serve as road ambassadors.

“The statistics are alarming, and the human cost is heart-wrenching. It is our collective responsibility to act decisively and creatively to reduce these incidents, save lives, and foster a culture of responsibility on our roads,"

“Every year, thousands of lives are lost on our roads, leaving families and communities devastated, but we believe that together, we can make a difference. This partnership reflects the power of collaboration in addressing national challenges.”

The GFA Foundation will engage with its internal stakeholders and partners such as all members of the football association including Men and Women Premier and Division One League clubs on the road safety campaign.

During football matches itself, road safety educational materials will be distributed to raise awareness and during match halftimes, spectators will be sensitized through the central public address system and through one-on-one engagements at vantage points at the various stadia.

A Defensive and Refresher Drivers’ Training for all drivers of GPL, WPL, Division One League Clubs, GFA Staff and partners was held at the Football Association Headquarters.

The event brought together officials of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), St. Johns Ambulance, Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) and the Ghana Fire Service.

The two entities have agreed to use the power of football to create awareness and spread road safety messages to reduce road traffic accidents and fatalities.

It is expected that this campaign will help to reduce the carnage on our roads drastically.

The event was also attended by Martin-Afram (Esq), Director, Planning and Programmes, NRSA, Perpetual Ofori-Akoto, Planning and Programmes Manager, Dennis Yeribu, Principal Planning Manager, Ms. Simbiat Wiredu, Head of Corporate Affairs and Mrs. Comfort Owusu, Assistant Affairs Manager, NRSA.