The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has applauded the monumental achievements of the Ministry of Transportatlion under the Supervision of Rotimi Amaechi.
Mohammed made this known at the 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing of the Ministry of Transportatlion on Friday in Abuja.
Mohamed who said that the ministry remained focused in delivering its projects,noted that the Ministry of Transportatlion is one ministry that has been majoring its activities, especially in the area of railway transportation.
He declared” It is through the Ministry of Transportatlion that we are very confident this administration will leave a massive legacy.
Earlie,r the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had restated the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring safe, efficient, affordable and seamless multimodal transport system in line with global practices.
Amaechi said in a bid to ensure a safe, secure, reliable, efficient , affordable, intermodal and environmentally sustainable road transport for all, the ministry embaked on developing a National Road Trsnsport Policy which according to him, would address the challenges faced on the roads.
According to him, the ongoing Road Transport Transformation Programme would have among its output nation-wide, Urban Mass Transit, environmentally sustainable road transportation.
Amaechi hinted at the implementation of regional trsnsport protocols to accelerate Nigeria benefitting from African Continental Free Trade Agreement and other detailed guides for the road trsnsport subsector among other modes”
He also threw more light on the rail sub sector,noting that the Nigerian Railway Corporation was about 123 years old (898-2021). and within this period has built 3,505 kilometer of narrow guage rail lines.
Others include,186 kilometer network of Standard Gauge( SG) rail lines linking Abuja to Rigasa in Kaduna State,302 kilometer network of SG rail lines from Itakpe Kogi State too Warri, Delta State and,” additional 185 km double SG rail lines from Lagos to Ibadan Rail lines with extension to Apapa Sea Port nearing completion” he said.
He said plans are underway to build other Standard Guage roots which he gave as Ibadan -Kano-Kazaure- Daura- Katsina- Jibiya- Maradi in Niger Republic.
Others are Port Harcourt- Aba+ Enugu- Makurdi- Jos- Bauchi- Gombe- Maiduguri starting with the narrow guage rehabilitation.
“Lagos- Ijebu-Ode- Benin- Yenegoa- Port Harcourt- Aba- Uyo- Calabar with feasibility study carried out waiting for funds” he said.
The Minister stated that no nation has been able to grow to achieve it’s potentials without an efficient and effective transportation system in place and called for collaboration among stakeholders.
Also speaking, the Minister for State for Transportation,Sen. Gbemisola Saraki said the briefing was important part of reaching the Ministry’s goals adding that without the public awareness ,it would be more difficult for the Ministry to implement its objectives.
She stated that transportation is the key to social and economic development of any nation especially Nigeria
” We therefore cannot overstate our responsibility within the ministry and its agencies to deliver an economically viable, sustainable and accessible transportation system to all Nigerians” she said.
