By Harry Awurumibe
The ongoing war in the Middle East, which has caused a global energy crisis that has resulted in the hike in the pump price of petrol within Nigeria and outside the country, has exposed the huge infrastructural deficits, lack of social amenities and public services in the City of Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in general.
This is even as residents of Abuja are worse hit in the present situation of high cost of petrol and petroleum products as they have no alternative means of transport to and from their places of work, and businesses except they go by privately owned cars and unregistered commercial vehicles.
It is no longer news that FCT lacks good transportation systems like railways, and mass transit transport such as high capacity buses, mini buses, registered cabs or taxis, and subways that will provide cheaper transport for the masses and facilitate the movement of people and
goods.
With all the noise about the massive infrastructural development in Abuja by the present government, it has not been able to use part of the money being used by the FCT minister to build mansions for “judges” in the choice areas of the FCT to provide tram transport services, an electric passenger vehicle running on rails set in city streets alongside motors, typically powered by overhead electric cables.
Also, referred to as Streetcars in North American countries and light rail in Africa and Lagos state, they offer high passenger capacity, often exceeding 300 to 400 passengers for modern multi-section units.
Sadly, there are no designated tram and bus routes and motor parks in FCT like in other climes, just as the few bus stops constructed during President Olusegun Obasanjo regime when Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was the minister of FCT have all been vandalised and none existent.
It can further be argued that the City of Abuja does not pass for any city in any developing world, not to talk of a city in the developed countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America and even in some African nations like Morocco, South Africa, Egypt amongst others.
For clarity, a city is fundamentally defined by a dense concentration of population with good infrastructure, social services, transportation networks, and economic activities-usually with self-governing and incorporated legal status.
Also, a city comprises residential, commercial, and public buildings, along with services like good transportation systems, good road networks, public utilities, and serving as a hub for social interactions and specialized labour force.
A capital city like Abuja should boast of diverse structures, including residential and commercial skyscrapers, several retail outlets, manufacturing, industries, assembly plants, trading outposts,
and office buildings.
What manner of a capital city without essential facilities include central water supply, waste management, good sanitation, public hospitals, and specialized utility networks.
In Abuja, residents provide all they need to live comfortably like the provision of borehole for their water supply; private power supply by the installation of solar energy in their homes , and personal security too.
Commuting from one part of FCT to another has remained the biggest challenge of the residents, especially those who do not have their own vehicles just as successive FCT ministers and the FCT ministry since the return to the democratic rule in 1999.
Although the then, FCT minister el-Rufai flooded Abuja with the high capacity buses running from the suburbs like Airport Road, Maraba-Nyanya, Kuje, Dei Dei, Gwagwalada to the Central Business Districts (BCD), Julius Berger, Wuse, Area 1, Garki, etc.
Unfortunately, several years after Mallam el-Rufai left office as the FCT minister, his successors, including the incumbent minister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, are unable to run commercial bus services within the territory to alleviate the acute public transportation pains the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inflicted on the Nigerian masses since May 2023.
It is not rocket science to run an efficient transportation system in FCT, like it is done in other capital cities of the world or even semi-urban centres in sister African countries like the Kingdom of Morocco, where its commercial city of Casablanca runs efficient 24/7 public transportation systems that has made life easier for citizens and foreigners too.
For example, it is not hard to run a surface standard gauge train or trams across the FCT, with modern train stations and bus terminals provided by the government to serve the masses.
Although the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan constructed railway lines from the Central Business Districts to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, it has remained moribund despite, late President Mohammadu Buhari insisting train ride from the city to the airport will be possible during his time. It never happened.
As a widely travelled journalist, I make bold to say that bus and train rides are a very important part of urbanisation and development. Bus terminals are major stations where passengers transfer between bus routes, and buses stop to pick up, drop off, and wait for their journeys.
These terminals facilitate efficient public transport by connecting different lines, including local and intercity services, and can also serve as a point of control for operations.
They are larger than simple bus stops as they also offer facilities like waiting areas, ticketing, parking, and public conveniences such as bathrooms and toilet facilities, even for physically challenged persons.
My experience during a recent trip to the Kingdom of Morocco, showed that government at all levels can play key roles in the development of a robust road transport infrastructure to make the movement of people and goods seamless and cheap.
Unlike in Nigeria, the Moroccan government has been instrumental in developing its road transport infrastructure, which includes building
motor parks, as part of broader plans to enhance rural accessibility and economic development, it first made heavy investments in constructing and upgrading roads, rails, airports, sea ports, and other infrastructures to support each other.
Also, the government of Morocco demonstrated a commitment to improving national connectivity for all areas, supporting various modes of transport, including buses, trains, trams, and taxis, which are running simultaneously round the clock from Rabat to Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir, Mohammédia, Oujda, Berkane, Kenitra, Mekmes, among others.
Also, the government of Morocco demonstrated a commitment to improving national connectivity for all areas, supporting various modes of transport, including buses, trains, trams, and taxis, which are running simultaneously round the clock from Rabat to Casablanca, Fez, Agadir, Marrakech, Tangier, Agadir, Mohammédia, Oujda, Berkane, Kenitra, Mekmes, among others.
Another example is that Morocco boasts of extensive and rapidly developing transport infrastructure, focusing on a modern high-speed rail network, a vast highway system, and significant commercial port development, including the Tangier-Med superport.
Indeed, transportation in Morocco presents citizens with different options, including by taxis and shuttles, bus transportation, Mass Transportation Systems, railways, ferries, and Tramways.
In the area of air transport infrastructure, the country also has no fewer than 19 international and national airports and is expanding its road and rail networks to improve connectivity, particularly between major cities and to support its growing economy and tourism.
Key initiatives include the ongoing high-speed rail expansion and the National Ports Strategy, reflecting Morocco’s ambition to become a continental transport hub.
In fact, Morocco, not the so-called “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria with all the oil-wealth, is the only country in Africa with an operational high-speed train called Al Boraq, runs from Rabat to Tangier and Casablanca, connecting these major cities with travel times to Casablanca being significantly reduced to the barest time possible.
There are also plans and construction underway for a second high-speed line that will link Rabat to the tourists city of Marrakech while the existing line is being expanded to connect Kenitra to Marrakech, significantly reducing travel times between key cities and reinforcing Morocco’s position as a key logistics hub.
Also, a planned high-speed line will also connect Rabat to Fes via Meknes, significantly cutting travel times between these cities even as the Al Boraq uses double-deck trains similar to the French TGV Duplex, which are some of the fastest trains in Africa. The high-speed trains are operated by the state-owned Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF).
Surprisingly, all these infrastructural developments are not costing the Moroccan government as much money as it costs to construct ordinary railway lines from Lagos to Ibadan.
On road transport, why can’t Nigeria borrow a leave from Morocco’s Highways Policy that has a well-developed national highway network with over 2,000 km of motorways, connecting major cities and industrial zones. Ongoing projects, like the Tiznit-Dakhla highway, are expanding this network to improve rural accessibility and regional connectivity.
Morocco’s road network consists of motorways, expressways, national, regional, and provincial roads.
Inter-city and intra-city transportation systems are running simultaneously and seamlessly in Morocco with passengers spoilt for choices of buses, cars just as trams complimented the the surface transportation network in the major cities of Morocco.
For nearly one month, I stayed in Casablanca it was so convenient for me to move around with taxis, buses, trains, and trams provided by Casabus and Casatramway, transport services company operated by Casablanca authorities.
Commuting from Medina to Sidi Bernoussi and areas within Al Baida community.
There is easy transport to the modern financial district of Centre Ville, the historic Old Medina with its souks, the beachfront district of La Corniche, and the residential area of Anfa known for luxury properties.
Other notable locations include the architectural landmark of the Hassan II Mosque, the charming neighbourhood of Habous, and the upscale shopping and residential areas of Maârif.
In all, every city in Morocco has a well-developed transport system that works 24 hours a day and seven days a week as seamless inter-city and intra-city transportation have become part of the culture of the Maghreb country.
Ironically, no city in Nigeria has any resemblance of any big city in Africa not to talk of cities in other continents especially in Europe, Asia and North American countries of United States of America (USA) and Canada despite the humongous amount of money past and present leaders of Nigeria have spent in their so-called infrastructural projects in Abuja and elsewhere.
Make no mistake, nobody is arguing that the minister Wike should not build “modern bus terminals” in the Abuja but the number is grossly inadequate for a big city housing millions of people.
Besides, what is the wisdom in building bus terminals for cities that have no effective bus transport system and good road networks despite the huge amount of money being spent on the so-called infrastructural projects in Abuja.
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It is sad that in the neighbouring West African country Cote d’Ivoire, bus services are running on schedule in the capital Abidjan and many cities with the government-owned SOTRA network involved in travel within the same city rather than an inter-country or inter-city trip.
In fact, government constructed bus stops and bus routes are found within Abidjan, while from Abidjan to Grand-Bassam by bus via Treichvile Gare de Bassam are available and on time, too.
In contrast, a big city like the FCT, Abuja, has neither functional bus terminals nor city buses, trains or tram transport services that can be compared to what obtains in Morocco or Egypt despite the recent inauguration of the completed Mabushi Bus and Taxi Terminal, constructed by the FCT Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike-led Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Instead of embarking on the construction of six bus terminals in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, the federal government should get its priorities right by channelling the fund for the construction of the “modern bus terminals” into the provision of several high-capacity buses for the cities to start a functional city bus transport services starting with the FCT.
This is the way to go.
AWURUMIBE is a Public Affairs Analyst.
