Were you tested for driver’s licence?

My worry increases when the subject of discussion is on issues such as the national drivers’ license procedures and drivers testing. This was the case last week when in the course of my flight from Lagos to Owerri, the Imo State capital, a discussion ensued between two deeply passionate and patriotic Nigerians on varying issues […]

My worry increases when the subject of discussion is on issues such as the national drivers’ license procedures and drivers testing. This was the case last week when in the course of my flight from Lagos to Owerri, the Imo State capital, a discussion ensued between two deeply passionate and patriotic Nigerians on varying issues of National importance such as the attitude of our airline operators, increasing cases of flight delays and cancellations, in addition to the driver’s license. What worries me when these discussions are on, is the level of sweeping generalizations that are made, and often without recourse to the facts.
This was also the case when the two men; a clergy and another who looked like a business or should I say a corporate executive, began discussions on these subjects. To be candid, the discussion like I said earlier was prompted by the long delay by Aero Contractors which kept us at the Murtala Mohammed Airport for hours from 8am till 12noon, without even the slightest word of apology to us. It was while venting built up frustrations on this ‘’I don’t care attitude’’ and what some described as our failure to get things right notwithstanding  giant strides in some sectors,  that the clergy narrated his experience when he applied for a driver’s license in one of the Western Countries; how he failed and was requested to come for a repeat class to ascertain his competence for a drivers licence, noting that it was only after the second resit, that he was adjudged to have qualified for one.
 The businessman sarcastically and rhetorically asked the clergy if there is anybody who is tested for driver’s license in this country. According to him, all intending drivers do is to apply for driver’s licence, pay and get a driver’s license without any test to ascertain suitability or competence to drive a vehicle. It was this sweeping generalization that prompted me to briefly join the discussion by explaining to them the uniqueness of the procedures of the new drivers’ license aimed at making it comparable to what obtains in other climes. Unfortunately, despite my several attempt to properly contextualize the issues, he played deaf to every information provided by me, refusing to shift grounds even in the face of facts.
My frustration at my failure at bringing him to a better understanding of this issue explains the choice of discourse today. For the sake of those who were not part of that discussion, but who hold similar views, let me state here that by virtue of the FRSC Establishment Act 2007, the statutory mandate of the Commission is restricted to the design and production of driver’s licenses and vehicle number plates while the powers for fixing road taxes including that of driver’s license and number plates in addition to deadlines for enforcement falls under the purview of the States through the Joint Tax Board.  Part 1 of the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 empowers the Commission in items ( d, e and g) to determine from time to time, the requirements to be satisfied by any applicant for the drivers’ license and number plate for every category of vehicles through design and production. It was in line with its statutory mandate that the Commission introduced the driving school standardization programme as an integral part of the new drivers’ licence reform which has led to the certification of over 600 schools with about 48,000 learner drivers undergoing driving instructions. Let me reiterate that since 1990, when it was imperative to harmonise and unify all existing modes of licensing of drivers and vehicle administration, licensing today is ICT driven.  Between 2011, when the new scheme commenced till date, despite initial hiccups, there now exist a structured vehicle data base arising from the new number plate and a biometric-based driver’s license, which has won accolades from developed Countries such as the case of the Italian Police, which in a letter to FRSC, acknowledged it as being of a higher standard than most European countries’ driver’s license. Due to the features introduced in the upgraded licensing scheme, Nigeria secured reciprocity with six European countries and the state of Mary-land in the USA whereby holders of the new Nigeria driver’s license can replace same with the drivers’ licenses of these six European countries and the state of Mary-land.The  standard explains why ECOWAS has adopted the new number plate as a model for a common licensing scheme for promoting the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, goods and services.
Who then is responsible for testing? Testing of drivers remain the responsibilities of the State Licencing Officers as contained in the National Road Traffic Regulations,2012, which specifically in Part V11 spells out the various procedures and processes that must be met for intending applicants and the responsible authority for testing. In section 45(1)it states that an applicant for a fresh driver’s license shall furnish  evidence of training at an approved driving school and a learners permit and shall be accompanied with a certificate of visual acuity test and general medical fitness. Subsection 2 states the age limit which must not be below 18years, stating further in  Sub section 3(a)that such an applicant must attend and pass a driver’s training at any designated driving school, obtain a medical fitness certificate from any Government hospital and in (d) and (f) it further states that such an applicant must attend and pass a driving test conducted by the Vehicle Inspection Officer or by an appropriate authority and thereafter present himself for biometric capturing at the driver’s license center. In the case of applicants for the commercial driver’s licence, it states that the person must not be below the age of 26 and must attend and pass a driving test conducted by the same vehicle inspection officers, among other conditions.