By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka
The Senate has addressed public concerns over the purported proscription of preaching and hawking in the ongoing amendment to the Federal Road Safety Commission (Establishment) Act, No. 22, 2007.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 27, 2026 by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Leader of the Senate, it said the provisions are not new and have existed in Nigerian law for nearly two decades.
According to the statement, pursuant to Section 10(4) of the FRSC Act, 2007 and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR) 2012, preaching and hawking in a commercial vehicle are already offences.
The Senate explained that the acts were previously listed as Item 36 in the Second Schedule of the 2007 Act. In the current amendment, the same provisions now appear as Item 49 in the Second Schedule.
It stressed that the Bill does not outlaw street preaching as being claimed in some quarters. “It is about the safety of commuters and other road users and not intended to undermine any religious activity in the public space,” the statement said.
The Senate further clarified that the amendment is not an initiative of the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. It noted that the Bill is a concurrence bill first amended by the House of Representatives.
As required by the 1999 Constitution, the Bill needs the concurrence of the Senate before it can become law. The statement added that the amendment process is still ongoing.
The Senate urged stakeholders to channel their concerns to appropriate institutions before the conclusion of the process, in the spirit of democracy and legislative engagement.
