By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors to establish an integrated transportation system capable of driving Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the call at the 19th National Council on Transportation, themed, “Developing Effective Transportation Systems for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation”
Umahi represented by the Minister of state for works, Muhammad Goronyo, said the government was moving beyond isolated infrastructure development to a coordinated transport system in which roads, railways, seaports and airports complement one another to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services.
He described roads and bridges as critical lifelines of trade and commerce, noting that durable road networks connect agricultural communities to urban markets, seaports and rail terminals while improving mobility nationwide.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the director press and public relations at the ministry, Mohammed Ahmed, said the Federal Government, under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was making significant investments in infrastructure through innovative financing mechanisms.
It identified the government’s four legacy highway projects as major components of the infrastructure drive. They are the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja (Trans-Sahara) Highway, and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri-Yola corridor, with a spur from Jos to Ibi in Taraba State.
The statement explained that, the projects were conceived not merely as road construction initiatives but as strategic investments aimed at improving connectivity, stimulating commerce, creating jobs and strengthening national integration.
Umahi said the projects would also incorporate environmentally friendly technologies, including the use of cement instead of asphalt, dams for irrigation and renewable energy, solar-powered street lighting and windmill technology along the littoral corridor, with the potential to earn carbon credits for the country.
He said their completion would ease movement across the geopolitical zones, enable farmers to transport produce to markets faster, improve industries’ access to raw materials and markets, and provide safer and more comfortable transportation for Nigerians.
The minister added that the Ministry of Works was adopting rigid pavement technology to build roads capable of withstanding heavy traffic and high water tables, thereby reducing road failures.
He stressed that effective rail transportation would complement the road network by moving a significant portion of heavy freight and reducing pressure on highways.
Goronyo also urged Nigerians to protect public infrastructure, warning against vandalism and theft of road and bridge furniture and other critical assets.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, commended the Federal Government for the resources being committed to road infrastructure, describing good roads as essential to sustainable national development.
Aliero said the theme of the council was timely, as it provided an opportunity for stakeholders in land, water and air transportation to harmonise policies and develop a sustainable intermodal transportation strategy.
