- Federal Government don roll out new transport reforms wey go touch every corner of the sector — from road, rail, air to port operations — as part of plan to make Nigeria transport system work well and compete with global standards.
Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali, announce the new reforms on Tuesday for Abuja during the 7th National Conference of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA).
The minister talk say Federal Executive Council (FEC) don finally approve the long-awaited National Land Transport Policy, wey go help harmonise transport laws, improve coordination, and make private companies join for transport development.
He talk say, “Under President Bola Tinubu government, reforms and investment don increase across all transport areas to boost economy and make logistics better.”
Alkali also reveal say the government don start to unbundle the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) so that e go fit perform better. He talk say for the new plan, NRC no go carry all power again — government go separate regulation, operations, and asset management to allow transparency and private participation.
The minister still mention say government don make big progress for the railway line matter. The Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna lines dey work well, Kaduna–Kano dey almost done, and work dey go on for Kano–Maradi and Port Harcourt–Maiduguri lines. Government don even approve new Ibadan–Minna railway to connect more states.
To make things easy for passengers, government don put e-ticketing system for major train lines wey don bring more transparency and reduce wahala. One committee don also set up to check complaints on the Abuja–Kaduna train ticket matter.
Alkali talk say, “Transport no be only movement of people and goods — na movement of the whole nation.”
He also hail engineers from the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) for developing logistics drones wey go help in smart transport and quick cargo movement.
CIOTA President, Segun Obayendo, praise Tinubu government say the new reforms don bring hope to the transport sector. But e still urge state governments make dem do their own transport policies to match the federal one.
The unbundling of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, wey don dey since 1955, go finally break the old structure wey make NRC handle everything from ticketing to maintenance. The new style go allow private companies join and make train operations faster and more reliable.
With these reforms, Naija government dey hope say transport go soon turn to one of the biggest drivers of economy and create plenty jobs across the country.
