Opinion: Plate Number Issuing, Where We Get It Wrong.

In other part of the world, mostly the western, if you purchase a car and you need a plate number, the officer in charge will first of all look at the papers and get details about you and where you reside. This will now make it easy for him to decide which area to give you. The officer in-charge will issue a plate number that’s very close to your community. This is done for many reasons, in case if the car is used to commit any crime it can be easily tracked. 2) If the car commits traffic offence and in the case of hit and run and many other reasons best known to the government.

This gives easy access to the data of such individual or organization. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case.  Let’s take Lagos state as a case study…in Lagos, a very high percentage of cars is carrying another state’s plate number. Some of commercial vehicles live and work in Lagos but are with other state’s plate number like Enugu, Katsina, Kaduna, Uyo, and Abuja in Lagos.

If the owner of the vehicle commits crime with such vehicle how world the government be able to tracks such car?

Honestly, to reduce the rate of crime in Nigeria ,vehicles that plight roads of each state should carry their state plate number. You can’t live and work in Lagos and still be carry other state plate number, is not done anywhere in the world.

Another issue is that each car/vehicle should be registered based on the community such person lives.

Lagos for instance, there are many people  who live in Ikeja but their plate numbers are showing that they live on the island. Some live and work in Ojodu but they are using Ojo plate number. Those who stay in Ojo are carrying Ikeja plate number. How would you track such person? Some of them use to tell the officer in-charge that they want a particular place like Island,” I want this ,i want that”, which is very wrong.

The government and their agencies should live up to the task. Most especially Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) by doing this the rate of crime will be reduced to a minimum barest level.

It must be compulsory for everyone who drives a car/ vehicle to carry the plate number of each of their states and communities.

Lagos should also make it compulsory for anybody living in Lagos to carry Lagos plate number you can’t live in Lagos and be using other states plate number. 

It’s not good for us as a country if we intend to be among the economy of the world by 202020.

God bless Nigeria. Amen!!!