“To underpin the critical role of transportation, the administration has made infrastructure a priority both in its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.”
By Uzor Odigbo
Transport Minister Mu’azu Jaji Sambo rates President Muhammadu Buhari high on what he described as “Strategic interventions” designed in the transportation sector.
The Minister presented 2015 till-date scorecard at the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja
Sambo said President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration recognised the role of Transportation in socio-economic development and identified it as the fourth of the nine priority areas of his administration.
He said the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari-led’s administration in the transportation sector has undoubtedly contributed to the growth of the economy as transportation plays a critical role in the growth and sustainability of other areas of the economy.
These areas according to him are; wealth creation, improving access to agricultural production centres and markets, movement of raw materials and distribution of finished products.
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“Other areas are; facilitating tourism as well as domestic and international trade, sustainability of mining and the extractive industry as well as being a major support base in contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Nation.
“To underpin the critical role of transportation, the administration has made transportation infrastructure a priority both in its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and the National Development Plan (NDP 2021-2025),” he said.
The Minister said the President had provided a safe and secure maritime border to prevent illegal activities on Nigeria’s waterways.
“The ministry in its versatile and intermodal mandate has taken charge of the safety and security of the nation’s international waters, inland waterways and railway corridors in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
“Some of the implemented interventions include the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure which is the Deep Blue Project.
“The Deep Blue Project prevents illegal activities in Nigeria’s Maritime waters, thereby aiding regional security in the Gulf of Guinea and MOWCA jurisdictions,” he said.
The Minister added that one intervention also includes the passage Of The Suppression Of Piracy And Other Maritime Offenses (SPOMO) Act, 2019 Into Law.
He said the support of President Buhari helped the Transportation Sector achieve the Development of Inland Waterways Transportation as a viable alternative mode:
Sambo added that the Transportation Sector has also done well on railways Infrastructure and railway safety and security.
“Within the period under review, the moribund commercial railway services in Nigeria were resuscitated by the administration as locomotives and coaches were procured and others refurbished.
“Safety and security are further enhanced through the provision of the latest Signal Communication Equipment and Solutions.
“This includes strengthening of the Nigerian Railway Police Command through an increase in numbers and specialized training and the provision of adequate logistics assets for high mobility and technology-based security architecture,” he said.
He said the President didn’t leave out the development of ports infrastructure which includes The Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Badagry Deep Sea Port
“The existing Seaports are being maintained in conformity with IMO standards and conventions,” he added.
Sambo also commended President Buhari for signing treaties and agreements that facilitate the smooth movement of goods and persons and facilitating trade and transport through the removal of physical and non-physical barriers among member states.
On “Development of Local Capacity”, Sambo said Buhari has continued to ensure the sustained development of requisite manpower for the sector through the Institute of Transport Technology and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria.
On Job Creation, he said, “the Programmes, Projects, Initiatives and Interventions carried out within the period in focus created massive direct skilled and unskilled jobs and millions of indirect jobs in the various subsectors supervised by the Ministry.”
He added that a sustainability plan is also in the pipeline with best practices in the sector for massive infrastructure development going on in the sector.
“The President has also made giant strides in bridging the infrastructural deficit in the transportation sector.
“This includes the railway modernization programme, the deep sea ports development programme, the inland dry port initiative, job creation, and introduction of favourable policies to mention but a few.
“The sector is far from perfect, but the interventions on the ground will serve as a veritable template for the incoming administration to build upon.” He added.