By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reinstated commitment to improve and expand Railway and others means of transportation in the country.
The Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki, represented by the Assistant Director Rail Department, Mr. Ayodele Omole at the inauguration of the Transport Trade Group of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) stated that the Federal Government is already reviving various transport infrastructures from Railway to Aviation and Ports in a bid to boost the economy.
She said the government is focusing on bridging the infrastructural deficit because no economy can grow sustainably without adequate infrastructure, pointing to several ongoing projects and many transport projects that are completed already.
“Presently, Kaduna-Abuja, Ibadan-Lagos and Itakpe-Warri Railways are completed and fully functioning while the ground breaking of Kaduna-Kano Railway, Kano-Maradi and Itakpe-Baro-Abuja have taking place and work commenced on these routes.”
While inaugurating Mr. Olawale Rasheed as Chairman of the Transport Trade Group, the President of ACCI, Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar recounted the good old days, noting that Nigeria has invested so much in the Transport sector because that is the soul of the economy adding that we of the private sectors are major partners of the government in this push to provide necessary trade and transport logistics for the economy to thrive.
“I commend the Ministry of Transportation, Aviation, Works, Digital Economy and other Ministries and Agencies handling logistics and transport sectors of this country.
“We remain your partner in progress while calling on relevant MDAs to partner with the Chamber of commerce for investment opportunities in the transport and logistics value chain. Roads, Railways, Airports and Ports are strong economy facilitation platforms and we must develop the value chains along these sub-platforms as a way of boosting our national economy”, he said.
The newly inaugurated Chairman of the Trade Group, and a Council member of ACCI, Mr. Olawale Rasheed said the Trade Group is planning programmes in Railway Conference, Aviation Mart and Blue Economy in the nearest future.
