Just like the saying: “A city without law, there’ll be no offence”. Nothing is regarded as an offence unless the law says it is an offence. Offences and their repercussions must be certain, stable and predictable at all times. Penalties for offences are always fixed by law, so even before you commit an offence, there’s a penalty waiting for you.
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC): Federal Road Safety Corps Nigeria is a government agency focused on road traffic administration and safety management. Its key responsibilities include traffic management, issuing and monitoring driver’s licenses, conducting vehicle inspections, investigating road crashes, enforcing traffic laws, and providing emergency rescue services.
The FRSC aims to ensure safer road usage, reduce accidents, and minimize loss of lives. It plays a vital role in regulating traffic, educating the public, and enforcing road safety measures. Hence, the FRSC strives to improve road safety, enhance traffic flow, and respond effectively to road accidents and emergencies.
Traffic Laws: Traffic laws are designed to ensure that drivers and car owners respect the rights of other road users and make safety a priority at all times. However, despite the existence of traffic laws, some drivers flout these rules in complete disregard to the government agencies that established them.
Sometimes, these laws are flouted out of ignorance or from a place of taking the laws for granted. To ensure that such laws are protected, the government attaches penalties to them as a means of correcting erring drivers and road users.
Driver’s License: A driver’s license is a necessary legal document in Nigeria. It also represents a big accomplishment for a lot of people who want to become responsible drivers. A driver’s license is issued by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to adults from the age of 18 and above. When issued, the license is valid for three to five years after which it expires. Drivers are to return to the FRSC office to renew their licenses.
The average cost of obtaining a driver’s license in Nigeria, According to the most recent data available, the initial application fee for a driver’s license in Nigeria varies based on the state and license class and can be as much as ₦6,350 to ₦10,450. However, for a license of 2 to 5 years, it could be up to ₦26,000 to ₦30,000.
Below are the necessary documents drivers need to obtain a driver’s license in Nigeria:
- Birth certificate
- Driving school certificate from an FRSC-accredited driving school. (This costs N8,000 or more depending on driving school.)
- Eye Test certificate from an FRSC-accredited clinic. (This costs N500 or more.)
- National Identification Number
- VIO Test certificate (This costs N1,000 or more.)
- Proof of payment for driver’s license/learner’s permit
- Learner’s permit.
Fine to pay for driving without a license
In Nigeria, driving without a license is a punishable offence that could attract fines or seizure of the vehicle and its documents. Thousands of vehicles are on the roads daily and every driver behind the wheels of a vehicle must be legally authorized to do so.
Being one of the greatest offences against the law, driving on a highway without a license, this offence is punishable with a fine of amount ranging from #5,000 to #20,000, depending on state and circumstances.
