The federal government has unveiled the first national land transport policy aimed at building an integrated, efficient, safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation system to support economic growth and national development.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima unveiled the policy on
Thursday at the 19th national council on transportation in Abuja.
Shettima said the government was shifting from developing
isolated transportation projects to creating an integrated national network
where roads, railways, ports, inland waterways and aviation complement one
another.
The vice president, represented by Aliyu Modibbo Umar, his
special adviser on general duties, said the objective was to connect production
centres with markets, ports and consumers while improving the movement of
people and goods across the country.
He described the railway modernisation programme as a
critical component of the administration’s transportation strategy.
Shettima said the government is pursuing major rail
corridors to improve connectivity across the eastern, central and northern
parts of the country while strengthening links between ports, railways, roads
and logistics hubs.
The vice president cited the Kano-Maradi railway project,
which links Kano through Jigawa and Katsina to Maradi in Niger Republic, saying
it would support domestic connectivity, cross-border trade and regional
integration.
He also stressed the importance of connecting ports to rail
and road networks to facilitate efficient cargo evacuation and reduce pressure
on highways.
“Rail must connect to roads. Rail to production centres and
markets, while roads provide first-and last-mile access,” Shettima said.
The vice president said no single mode of transportation
could adequately meet the country’s needs in isolation.
He said the federal government had approved high-grade urban
transportation projects and urged the minister of transportation to work with
participating states to establish clear technical, institutional, regulatory
and implementation arrangements without unnecessary delays.
According to Shettima, successful implementation of the
projects would provide a model that could be replicated in other Nigerian
cities.
Speaking at the event, Said Alkali, former minister of
transportation, said the absence of a comprehensive land transport policy had
made it difficult for the ministry to effectively regulate the sector,
particularly amid emerging and increasingly complex transportation challenges.
Alkali said the policy aligns with the administration’s
eight-point agenda and provides a framework for developing a fast, safe,
efficient, affordable, convenient, integrated and intermodal transport system.
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