Nigerian motorists are set to benefit from a nationwide free driver education and testing programme as Notch Captains Limited, in collaboration with the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), unveils the inaugural Naija Driver 2026 challenge aimed at promoting safer roads.
The initiative, operating under the Approval in Principle and Safety Frameworks of the Automobile & Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN), the sole representative of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in Nigeria, is designed to combine driver education, testing and public enlightenment with a nationwide driving competition.
According to a statement signed by Director of Media, Communications, Marketing and Public Relations of the Naija Driver 2026 Organising Committee,
Ingram Osigwe, registration and safety screening will commence free of charge on September 1, 2026, through the initiative’s digital learning portal.
The programme is open to licensed Nigerian residents aged between 18 and 65.
Participants will receive digital learning materials covering defensive driving, road-use regulations, crash-site management, emergency victim stabilisation during the critical “Golden Seconds” and preventive vehicle maintenance.
The online learning phase will culminate in a Unified National Computer-Based Test scheduled for October, with participants expected to take the examination simultaneously across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Project Director and Managing Director of Notch Captains Limited, Adrian Egonu, said the challenge would adopt a decentralised verification system to strengthen identity checks and eliminate logistical difficulties.
He explained that the three highest-scoring candidates from each state and the FCT would undergo document verification and practical screening in their respective locations in October.
The overall state champions will subsequently converge on Lagos for the final live-action driving tests scheduled for November 7 to 10, 2026.
The physical competition will test participants’ vehicle-handling agility, chassis control and emergency-braking precision before a live and televised audience.
Ahead of the final driving trials, the organisers will host an Executive Road Safety Advocacy Gala Night, expected to attract state government representatives and senior executives of major Nigerian conglomerates for the endorsement of a national highway safety advocacy pledge.
The initiative has also partnered Skinetics Med Spa to launch a Priority Waiting List ahead of the activation of its interactive portal.
Under the partnership, participants will stand to receive gifts and vouchers through the “Glam n Drive” package throughout the tournament, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
The programme will also feature presentations from leading motor insurance institutions to improve public understanding of vehicle insurance and retail risk underwriting.
As part of its social-impact component, the organisers said official charity visits would be made to hospitals where road-crash victims are undergoing rehabilitation.
Egonu said gender inclusion would remain a key component of the initiative, with the organising committee committed to encouraging and incentivising greater participation by women.
Osigwe urged members of the public, corporate fleet managers, transport unions and e-hailing operators to take advantage of the free training and testing resources when the official information portal becomes operational.
The organisers said Naija Driver 2026 would use competition as a platform for practical road-safety education, with the broader objective of promoting safer driving habits among motorists nationwide.