The Nigerian Government is working on a National Transport Policy as part of efforts to reform the country’s transport sector.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this at the annual press briefing on the 2021 activities and projects carried out by the Ministry and its agencies in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.
He said discussions were ongoing with the Stakeholders and he expressed hope that the ministry would come up with the policy before the end of the year.
The Minister emphasised that the policy would cut across all the transport modes in the sector.
“The committee is already having conversation with the Office of the Vice President and in attendance is myself, the Honourable Minister of State for Transport, the Minister of Finance, the office of the Vice President chaired by the Vice President. We intend to come up with the National Transport Policy before this year will run out.
“The Ministry is dealing with the draft national maritime policy. All the policies will take off from the National Transport Policy.
“The same thing with the national road transport policy, the minister of state came with a well-detailed document of the road policy which is a part of the National Transport Policy.”
The Transport Minister also noted that a road transportation programme has been introduced by the ministry for the safety, security and accessibility of road transport in the country.
“The road transport transformation programme was introduced by the Minister of State, with a focus on accessibility and affordability and how to make it sustainable environmental-wise.
“She’s dealing with security, safety and efficiency of road transportation and how it impacts on the African Continental Free Trade and Agreement, ACFTA and other detailed guide for the road transport sector.”
Speaking on the development of the country’s railway sector, Amaechi said the Lagos-Ibadan, Itakpe-Warri and Kaduna-Abuja railway stations have been completed and were functioning.
He however, cautioned those trying to breach the systems already put in place for a smooth running of the railway activities. The Minister further called for adherence to guidelines mandated by the Ministry and the country’s railway corporation services for an effective service delivery.
“We’ve completed the Itakpe-Warri, Kaduna-Abuja and Lagos-Ibadan and it’s functioning. These are the three main lines that we’ve completed.”
The Minister also noted that the ministry was embarking on new railway projects that would link to major cities across the country, stressing that work would soon commence on them though the Ministry was awaiting funds for them. Further to this, he stated that the nation’s President Muhammad’s Buhari has issued a directive that all rail-lines must terminate at the seaports.
“We have awarded the following contracts and we are about to start work on the Ibadan to Kano, Portharcourt-Maiduguri, the famous Kano-Maradi, Lagos-Calabar.
“But one thing that is unique about this contract is that the President directed that all rail-lines must terminate at the seaport.
“The Kano-Lagos would terminate at the Lagos seaport. The Portharcourt-Maiduguri would terminate at Bonny where we are building a new deep seaport that would convey both goods and passengers all the way to Dutse to Gashua and to Maiduguri.”
State Minister for transport, Senator Gbemisola Saraki,who was also present said the ministry would keep working to ensure that the country’s transport sector becomes economically-viable and beneficial to all Nigerians.
“We all know that transportation is key to the socio-economic development of any nation even more so in Nigeria. We therefore cannot overstate our responsibility within the ministry and its agencies to deliver an economically-viable and sustainable and accessible transportation system for Nigerians.
“This is key to economic growth and even the overall welfare of our citizens.”
Responding to Journalists on the completion of dry ports across the nation, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Hassan Bello gave assurance that the Kaduna and Kano dry ports are almost in completion with eighty percent progress already recorded.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, in his response to challenges faced by Nigerians while booking tickets online, reassured Nigerians that the issues would soon be a thing of the past as strategies were being adopted to address such challenges.
PIAK
