CITA and AARSLA join forces for road safety in Africa
CITA is pleased to announce the signing of a Manifest of Understanding with the African Association of Road Safety Leading Agencies (AARSLA), establishing a framework for closer cooperation in support of road safety and sustainable mobility across Africa.
The agreement reflects the shared objectives of CITA and AARSLA and their commitment to strengthening collaboration, exchanging knowledge and promoting good practices among their respective members.
Africa continues to face major road safety challenges. Although the continent accounts for only around 4% of the world’s vehicles, it represents nearly 20% of global road traffic deaths. Against this background, road safety agencies from across Africa came together to establish AARSLA and create a coordinated platform for action.
The initiative emerged from discussions at continental road safety forums, where national agencies recognized the value of closer cooperation and knowledge exchange. In June 2025, delegates from more than 20 African countries gathered in Lusaka, Zambia, for AARSLA’s inaugural assembly, formally launching the association. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria was appointed as its founding secretariat.
AARSLA’s objectives include strengthening cooperation among African road safety lead agencies, facilitating the exchange of experience and information, supporting institutional capacity development, promoting good practices in road safety governance and advancing an African agenda for road safety and sustainable mobility.
Through the Manifest of Understanding, CITA and AARSLA will cooperate through the exchange of information, programmes, publications, best practices and standards. The two organisations also intend to facilitate participation in each other’s congresses, seminars and workshops, promote their respective activities and strengthen contacts between their staff and members.
Where appropriate, the partnership also provides for collaborative research, joint working groups and other joint initiatives on topics of mutual interest. The Manifest foresees at least two coordination meetings per year to maintain an active dialogue and identify opportunities for concrete cooperation.
For CITA, the partnership provides an important opportunity to contribute its international expertise in vehicle compliance and inspection while learning from the experience and priorities of African road safety authorities. CITA’s activities cover the entire vehicle lifecycle and include the exchange of best practices, development of recommendations and international standards, research, training and capacity building related to vehicle compliance and inspection.
The MoU was signed by Lateef Ramoni, Head of Secretariat/Focal Person of AARSLA, on 3 August 2026, and by Ferose Oaten, President of CITA’s RAG Africa and Vice President of CITA, and Gerhard Müller, President of CITA, on 11 August 2026.
This new partnership reinforces CITA’s commitment to international cooperation and to supporting effective vehicle compliance systems as an essential component of safer and more sustainable road transport. By connecting CITA’s global vehicle inspection and compliance community with AARSLA’s network of African road safety agencies, the two organisations aim to facilitate the exchange of expertise, strengthen institutional cooperation and contribute to safer mobility across the African continent.