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MINISTER of Transportation Mu’azu Sambo says transportation remains the only catalyst to rapid national development.
Sambo, in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Mr Eric Ojiekwe, said this on Friday at the on-going 2022 Ministerial Retreat at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The theme of the retreat is, “Developing Capacity and Strategy to Deliver the National Development Plan (NDP) for the Transportation Sector.”
He said: “The Transportation Sector has contributed to the socio-economic needs of Nigerians and promoted the overall sustainable development of the nation.
“The provision of transportation infrastructure is and will always be work in progress for any nation that desires rapid development.
”It is in recognition of this that a lot needs to be done in the sector that the government developed the “National Development Plans (Medium-Term Development Plans 2021-2025 and a Long-Term Plan called the Nigeria Agenda 2050)
”Which the Ministry domesticated as the Transport Sector Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2021-2025 Policy Document, aimed at accelerating the growth of the transportation sector in the country.
”The strategic medium-term vision statement of this is to have an effective, efficient, intermodal, safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable transportation system contributing positively to the growth of the Nigerian economy,” he said.
Sambo said in order to make the above possible, the ministry would pursue it through improving safety and transportation, security, collaboration and synergy amongst transportation stakeholders, professionalism and Human Capacity Building.
”We will also strengthen institutional governance and regulation, multi-modal infrastructural development to bring about safe and secure transportation; drive economic development; facilitate connectivity (Intermodal and Multimodal); develop local capacity (professionalism) and ensure sustainability,” he said.
The minister identified the activities to drive the transportation sector to include: Implementation of the 25 year – Railway Modernisation Programme and the Ports Master Plan.
He said others are, the Inland Waterways Transportation Development, the Nigerian Transportation Master-plan (NTM); Tariffs and Costs and Reation of Private Sector – led National fleet and Manpower capacity development.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, enjoined stakeholders in the sector to leverage on the opportunities presented by Public Private Partnership (PPP) to grow the sector.
According to Adegoroye , PPP has the capital and expertise needed for growth.
He also advised that Nigeria should take full advantage of its geographical position in the West African sub-region and Africa at large to leverage on the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement of which she is privy.
He further noted that the transportation sector was a major driver for the promotion of intra-African trade.
Earlier, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said the sector was a major driver of the National Development Plans and was critical for the enhancement of natural integration, economic growth and unification of the country.(NAN)
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Tags: Eric Ojiekwe Mu’azu Sambo
