Bennett Oghifo Notch Captains Limited, operating under the Approval in Principle and Safety Frameworks of the Automobile & Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN), the sole representative of the Fédération Internationale
**Bennett Oghifo **
Notch Captains Limited, 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, in collaboration with the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), has announced the global web launch of the inaugural Nigerian Drivers Challenge, Naija Driver 2026.
According to a statement signed by Ingram Osigwe, Director of Media, Communications, Marketing and Public Relations of the Naija Driver 2026 Organising Committee, the initiative is designed to promote road safety through free driver education, testing and public enlightenment.
The programme is open to licensed Nigerian residents aged between 18 and 65. Registration and safety screening will commence free of charge on September 1, 2026, through the initiative’s digital learning portal.
Participants will have access to digital study 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 nationwide Unified National Computer-Based Test scheduled for October 2026, 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 competition would adopt a decentralised verification system to strengthen identity checks and eliminate logistical challenges.
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 be invited to Lagos for the final live-action driving tests scheduled from 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 driving trials, organisers will host an Executive Road Safety Advocacy Gala Night expected to bring together state government representatives and senior executives of major Nigerian conglomerates to endorse a national highway safety advocacy pledge.
The organisers have also partnered with Skinetics Med Spa to launch a Priority Waiting List ahead of the interactive portal’s activation.
The partnership will feature gifts and vouchers under the “Glam n Drive” package throughout the tournament, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
The initiative will also feature presentations from leading motor insurance institutions aimed at improving public understanding of vehicle insurance and retail risk underwriting.
As part of its social-impact programme, organisers said official charity visits would be made to hospitals where road-crash victims are undergoing rehabilitation.
Egonu said gender inclusion would also be a key component of the initiative, with the organising committee committed to encouraging and incentivising female participation.
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 is intended to combine competition with practical road-safety education while promoting safer driving habits among motorists nationwide.
