Nigeria’s roads are set for an unprecedented driving showdown as Naija Driver 2026 opens a nationwide battle to identify the country’s safest and most skilled motorists — with participation completely free.
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 partnership with the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI), has unveiled the inaugural Nigerian Drivers Challenge, Naija Driver 2026.
The initiative is being positioned not merely as a driving competition, but as a nationwide road-safety campaign combining free driver education, testing and public enlightenment.
According to a statement signed by Ingram Osigwe, Director of Media, Communications, Marketing and Public Relations of the Naija Driver 2026 Organising Committee, registration and safety screening will begin free of charge on September 1, 2026, through the programme’s digital learning portal.
Licensed Nigerian residents between 18 and 65 years are eligible to participate.
Participants will receive digital learning materials covering critical areas including defensive driving, road-use regulations, crash-site management, emergency victim stabilisation during the crucial “Golden Seconds” and preventive vehicle maintenance.
The education phase will lead to a Unified National Computer-Based Test in October, with candidates sitting for the examination simultaneously across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Project Director and Managing Director of Notch Captains Limited, Adrian Egonu, said the competition would deploy a decentralised verification system designed to strengthen identity checks while eliminating the logistical difficulties associated with nationwide screening.
Under the system, the three highest-scoring candidates from every state and the FCT will proceed to document verification and practical screening within their respective locations in October.
Then comes the big showdown.
State champions will be brought together in Lagos for the final live-action driving tests scheduled for November 7–10, 2026.
The finalists will face demanding practical challenges testing vehicle-handling agility, chassis control and emergency-braking precision, before a live and televised audience.
But the organisers say the event will go beyond the thrill of competition.
An Executive Road Safety Advocacy Gala Night will precede the final driving trials, bringing together government representatives and top executives of major Nigerian conglomerates to endorse a national highway safety advocacy pledge.
The organisers have also partnered with Skinetics Med Spa on a Priority Waiting List ahead of the activation of the interactive portal. The partnership will introduce gifts and vouchers under the “Glam n Drive” package throughout the tournament, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
Leading motor insurance institutions are also expected to feature in the programme, with presentations designed to improve motorists’ understanding of vehicle insurance and retail risk underwriting.
In a further demonstration of its social-impact focus, the organisers said official charity visits would be made to hospitals where road-crash victims are undergoing rehabilitation.
Gender inclusion will also be a major component, with Egonu stressing the committee’s commitment to encouraging and incentivising female drivers to participate.
Osigwe urged motorists, corporate fleet managers, transport unions and e-hailing operators to seize the opportunity to benefit from the free training and testing resources once the official information portal becomes operational.
With education, competition, practical driving tests and road-safety advocacy rolled into one nationwide programme, Naija Driver 2026 could become one of Nigeria’s most ambitious attempts to turn better-trained motorists into safer road users.