The Nation Newspaper

Tag: transportation

  • Towards functional nationwide transportation

    Should states collaborate with the Federal Government to drive an effective mass transit that will be truly national? The berthing of a forum of Commissioners for Transportation, experts say, will help breed a healthy sector that could grow the economy, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    The gathering of Commissioners of Transportation in Abuja, last Friday, was the clearest signal that Nigeria may be on the way to getting it right in the transportation sector, a critical sector which drives the wheel of the nation’s economy.

    While the sector has witnessed tremendous support and sustained planning by governments world over for about six decades, transportation has been abandoned by successive governments in Nigeria, turning the sector into an all comers’ affair.

    This has made the sector almost prostrate, contributing a mere 4.5 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017.

    The maiden edition of the meeting of states’ transportation policy formulators was a fallout of last year’s National Transportation Council’s resolution, which served as peer review mechanism to drive the renaissance of transportation across the states, thereby reviving a sector largely seen as being in the woods.

    That explains why Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi’s charge is  that the greatest dividend such a gathering could give Nigerians was to bequeath a working mass transit to the people. For this to happen, all federating units must key into the policies and programmes of the Federal Government.

    The problem is that the nation’s transportation sector, like others, has been fraught with dysfunctional paradigms that have seen states working at cross purposes to one another, thereby making a national transportation master plan a messy piece of cake and unachievable.

    For instance, while for about two decades the National Transportation Council – Nigeria’s highest policy making organ, clearly stated that motorcycles should not be means of mass transit anywhere in the country, many of the states did not only permit same, but openly encourage it. There were instances where governors, who ought to drive the policy, continued to dole out motorcycles and crash helmets to the youth as empowerment tools.

    The resultant effect was the ugly kaleidoscope of commercial motorcycles called okada, which are now contesting space on the crowded roads in the cities. It is not out of place to see commercial okada operators migrating their services from hostile environments to favourable states.

    The effect of such odious practice, which cut across several states of the federation, is that national transportation policies and programmes have continued to be distorted as states’ fidelity to the policies is seen in breaches.

    For the past six decades, the nation’s transportation sector was more of a jungle, where everyone held sway. The result is that despitethe country’s population, which is put at about 180 million, Nigeria’s economy, until recently, the largest in Africa, is still driven by a monolithic motorised system of transportation, while other sub-sectors have been either moribund non-existent, or operating at a disproportional ratio to its full potential.

    For instance, while the road mode had accounted for over 75 per cent of both freight and passenger transportation in Nigeria, air, rail, and water modes have continued to jostle for the remaining 25 percent, with the air accounting for about 10 per cent, while the rail does about 12 per cent, leaving inland waterways with only three per cent traffic.

    Amaechi listed some of the programmes, which he envisaged greater collaboration, to include the development of Road Transport Operators Manual (RTOM), Road Crime Control System (RCCS), Introduction of Truck Transit Parks (TTPs) and the development of robust urban mass transit that would fully deploy the three modes of transportation.

    Road transport operators’ manual, road crime control system and the introduction of truck transit parks, will help stimulate the transportation sector, create jobs, relief the roads and assist in making the roads safer for all operators/users.

    This is aside the introduction of Green Transportation (walking, trekking, bicycle riding), and Amphibious vehicles, which could be used on the nation’s inland waterways being promoted by the government.

    According to experts, the time has come for a shared vision if government is determined to give Nigerians seamless transportation system.

    A logistics expert, Mr. Kelvin Joseph, urged the states to formulate right policies that would develop the road transport sub-sector, which according to him, was state’s constitutional responsibility.

    Amaechi said the Federal Government remains committed to the ongoing reforms in the rail, maritime, aviation, mass transit and road operations administration.

    According to Joseph, states must cue into the reforms and expand the transit modes available to the people linking one state to the other.

    Chairman of commissioners’ forum and Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum Resources, Mr Orman Esim,  said beyond peer review, the forum was also to ensure that there was uniformity in service delivery by state governments. He said issues such as multiple charges and taxes within states would soon be a thing of the past.

    Working Document

    From United Kingdom (UK), to Singapore, China and Australia, tiers of government in developed societies usually have holistic master plan encompassing  their transportation visions and aspirations.

    In the United States (US) for instance, states are required to regularly update a master plan co-ordinated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT is a federal regulator.

    The federal regulator requires that each state must prepare and periodically update a state wide intermodal transportation plan that not only addresses how it will tackle specified factors, but covers a period of at least, 20 years as a condition to receiving federal transportation funding.

    In its 2005 to 2030 masterplan with the theme: “Strategies for a new age: New York State’s transportation Master Plan for 2030, an update of the state’s 1996 plan, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), envisaged the following parameters: 11 million licenced drivers, 10.5 million motor vehicles, riding over 113,000 miles of local, state and interstate roads and 17,000 local and state highway bridges.

    About 2.6 billion transit passenger trips are made yearly, including a daily average of 4.8 million subway riders. Over 488 communities are linked by intercity bus service, which serves 2.6 million passengers yearly.

    No fewer than 4,800 miles of railroads serve or connect 31 passenger rail stations and carry 78 million tons of freight yearly.

    Experts said a transportation master plan that would include the states, will help address the nation’s status as the biggest economy on the African continent.

    In a changing global economy, where travel demands of customers are becoming complex, new modes, they argued, needed to be introduced if Nigeria must continue to be relevant.

    Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) Chief Executive,  Dr Hafiz Toriola said an integrated master plan, which includes all modes of transportation, especially land, water and air must be pursued.

    He also canvassed the involvement of 36 states in designing masterplan that suits their environment, while the Federal Government sets the rules of integration, facilitates and coordinates inter-state involvement.

    He said: “There should be a devolution of power, which would see the Federal Government take full charge of all roads on the exclusive list, (Trunk A) roads, while states gain full autonomy to run all roads on the concurrent list (Trunk B) and local governments the residual (Trunk C) roads.”

    Former Dean, School of Transportation Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr Tajudeen Olukayode Bawa-Allah, wondered why the government ought to be taken seriously in its bid to develop a transportation masterplan for the country.

    Executive Director, Safety Without Borders (SWB), Mr Patrick Adenusi, traced the mushrooming of illegal activities in the sector and the way all comers find their way into the sector to the absence of a master plan.

    Describing transportation as a major part of human activity, Adenusi wondered why the government had to wait till everything almost collapsed before it thought of regulating the sector.

    According to Adenusi, nobody goes into the aviation industry and buys an aeroplane to start operating it. The other sub-sectors of the industry, he said, ought to be strictly regulated as well.

    A master plan, mutually shared by the states, experts argued, will ensure that every state is maximally developed.

    The states must begin to evolve their plans and efficiently manage their physical development.

    According to Managing Director Planet Projects Ltd., Biodun Otunola, states must take ownership of the transportation systems in their states and develop systems that support their population.

    Conclusion

    The coming together of Commissioners of Transportation outside the nation’s highest advisory body on transportation, Otunola said, may be one of the ways to sanitise the sector and stimulate its growth across all states.

    Having someone like Amaechi to drive the change initiative in transportation may mean an unusual time for the sector and stakeholders will agree, is the only way to bring sanity to a sector that has long been abandoned and neglected by policymakers.

  • Rising transportation costs hurt farmers, food processors

    Rising transportation costs hurt farmers, food processors

     Agriculture, like other sectors of the economy, is dependent on transportation to move people and produce from one point to another.Transportation is also needed to receive supplies and materials for use on the farm. But, high freighting cost is having a significant impact on farmers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Farmers and food producers are raising the alarm that the cost of moving produce is   getting higher.

    The increase in trucking costs is being blamed on some factors such as unavailability of trucks, bad roads  and  high  fuel costs.

    For instance, in Iseyin, Oyo State, a cassava production belt, the cost of moving 30 tons of cassava has moved to N15,000, from N10,000 two years ago.

    It was learnt the situation is of major concern for consumers and produce growers.

    This has pushed up operating costs for farmers, who would then pass the additional costs  to consumers.

    Expressing concern, the  country coordinator, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project (CAMAP), Mr. Ayodele Omowunmi, said farmers in Igunrin Village, Iseyin, are finding it costly to  move their  cassava to The Allied Atlantic Distilleries Ltd (AADL) at Igbesa in Ogun State where their  tubers can be processed to ethanol.

    AATF is an international  programme working with smallholder and commercial farmers from Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Kogi states, to deploy machines to assist them in improving the cassava value chain.

    AADL is the first and largest cassava-based ethanol producing plant in Africa. It has an installed capacity of  10 million litres  of ethanol per year and requires 240 tons of cassava daily at an average of 10 tons per hour.

    He  said CAMAP facilitated the partnership between the farmers and the company to ensure steady daily supply of cassava to meet up with the requirement.

    He urged the government to assist farmers through the provision of adequate vehicles to transport cassava from the farm to promote the growth of the business.

    The Chief  Executive, Natural Nutrient Limited, Sola Adeniyi,  said  rising freight costs as a reason for lower profit margins with more pain as  vehicles break and higher diesel prices make it even more expensive to transport farm produce to the market .

    Adeniyi  said high transportation costs hurt profits, preventing them from taking advantage of lower commodity prices.

    According to him, the benefits that should trickle down to the farmers are locked down by high cost of transportation, which eats into their profits.

    The National Publicity Secretary, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN),Anga Sotonye, said most of the agro commodities containers coming into the ports are not attended to in time thereby affecting timely shipments.

    According to him, it is one thing to aggregate agro exports for onward movement to the ports, but moving goods through the road to the port is the bigger challenge.

    He urged the government to tackle the situation on Apapa port access road, adding that its conditions are an obstacle.

    Sotonye complained that the ports have recorded slow turn around times.

    He said the road users were fed up with delays that have stretched for several  days.

    The  Group Managing Director,  Niji Group, Kola Adeniji, said there are  challenges facing food supply chain.

    According to him, things are becoming stretched across food supply chain and current logistics thinking is no longer fit for purpose.

    He explained that the transport infrastructure that are dilapidating is bringing challenges to food manufacturers and logistics companies.

    Meanwhile, the  Oyo State Executive Council said it has approved the rehabilitation of the 65km Moniya-Ojutaye-Iseyin Road for the sum  N6,952,565,074.97.It said the project is expected to be completed in 18 months.

    The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said the 65km road had been awarded to M/S Oladiran Engineering and Trade Nigeria Limited, explaining that the contractor was picked after careful evaluation of both technical and financial responsiveness by the state Consultants on Road Projects under the leadership of Reyog International Nigeria Limited.

    He pointed out that 30 per cent of the contract sum will be paid to the contractor as advance payment subject to the provision of an open-ended advance payment guarantee from a reputable bank.

    Arulogun maintained that the road will boost both intra and intercity transport links, improve trade, drastically reduce intercity transport connection, encourage trade and investment as well as to generally bring about better socio-economic development to the citizenry.

    He noted that this is in line with the Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s philosophy to decongest traffic at all entrances and exits to the state as part of the massive infrastructural development going on in the state.

  • Enugu govt. to procure 100 vehicles for mass transportation

    Enugu govt. to procure 100 vehicles for mass transportation

    Enugu State government is to procure 100 vehicles at the cost of about N800m to ease mass transportation in the state. Rising from the state’s Executive Council meeting held at the Government, Enugu, the commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barrister Sam Ogbu Nwobodo, also informed that the State Government has also approved the contract for the renovation and expansion of New Haven Shopping complex in the state capital to enhance ease of doing business.

    According to him, the decision of the government to procure 100 units of vehicles was to make movements of persons and goods in and out of the state very convenient. He further explained that to execute the vehicles procurement project, the state government had earlier approved its participation in what is called Infrastructure Bank Move Nigeria Programme, an offshoot of Infrastructure Bank of Nigeria PLC created by the Federal Government to fund major infrastructures at concessionary rates and which it intends to use for this purpose.

    The commissioner explained that “the totality of gains in the two projects is to impact positively on the lives of people of the state both in terms of mass transit and in terms of ease of business for the traders and people that patronize them, making it conducive for people who live around New Haven, Independence Layout and GRA”. Giving further details of the intervention in the shopping complex, he said the state government approved the award of contract for the expansion and renovation of its parking area, construction of ultra-modern public toilet in the market for ease of business and to avoid outbreak of diseases which may result from non-availability of convenience rooms in such crowded market area. Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has commended his Enugu State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his development strides in Enugu in spite of the nation’s economic challenges and the meager resources of the state.

    Ambode also applauded Ugwuanyi for the existing peace in Enugu State, saying “where other states seem to be having problem, there is dignified peace and stability in Enugu”. The Lagos State governor spoke when Ugwuanyi hosted him and his entourage at the Government House, Enugu alongside other dignitaries, who were in Enugu ahead of the burial of the elder statesman and former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme in Oko, Anambra State on Friday. He said that irrespective of party leanings, he was moved by the development strides of Ugwuanyi that he noticed since he arrived Enugu.

    He said: “Irrespective of party affiliation, development is development and progress is progress and the whole thing is more about being people-oriented and we give God all the glory that there are still people who can prove that there is good governance in Nigeria.” Ambode who was also in the south east geopolitical zone for the late Dr. Ekwueme’s burial in his capacity as the Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, said he sees himself as part of the Igbo people, who make up a good percentage of Lagos and drive the state’s economy. According to him, “I am more Igbo than any other person because Lagos is a cosmopolitan state and I am not too sure whether I can cross any street in Lagos without having an Igbo brother or sister and if you want to govern Lagos properly, you have to abide by the rules and conditions of business men and women and which the majority happens to be our brothers.”

  • RTEAN hails Ambode’s strides on public transportation

    Governor Akinwumi Ambode has been commended for contribution towards development of public transportation in Lagos State.

    The state branch Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, (RTEAN) Alhaji Musa Muhammad, gave the commendation in a statement yesterday.

    According to him, the construction of modern motor parks across the state “deserves commendation by well-meaning Lagosians.”

    He said on completion, the world class motor park at Oshodi with shopping complex and others would change the face of the community and turn it into a model city.

    Muhammad added that the construction of fly over in Ajah, Abule-Egba and the one under construction in Agege are testimonies to Ambode’s slogan that the future belonged to public transportation.

    The association also expressed gratitude to the House of Representatives leader Femi Gbajabiamila for providing Alternative Park for its members at Ojuelegba.

    He described it as a big gesture that members would not forget in hurry.

  • Sokoto distributes 22 boats to enhance transportation

    Sokoto distributes 22 boats to enhance transportation

    Sokoto State Government has provided 22 boats to enhance inland water transportation in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Dingyadi, Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto, that the initiative was also ensure safety on the water ways.

    He said: “It was part of efforts of the government on disaster management and to safeguard people’s lives.

    “A case of boat mishap occurred last year at Gandi community in Raba Local Government Area where a girl died while traders were being transported to a nearby market.

    “Governor Aminu Tambuwal responded promptly in buying 22 boats and distributed them to communities using water transportation to get to various destinations.

    “The gesture is to forestall future occurrence and safeguard people’s lives; it was well appreciated by the communities.’’

    NAN reports that eight of the boats were released to Goronyo, four to Silame and 10 to Raba local council.

    The D-G explained that the agency has embarked on massive public enlightenment on disaster prevention, control and management to reduce the rate of disasters in the state.

    Dingyadi recalled that the government had in 2017 set up a high-powered disaster response committee headed by the State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu.

    According to him, the committee had helped in mobilising residents to respond to environmental issues and facilitated the recruitment of 550 environmental sanitation workers in Sokoto metropolis.

    The D-G said the agency is working closely with the State and Federal Fire Services, NEMA, Red Cross Society, religious groups and Non Government Organizations and agencies involved in disaster management.

    He urged the people to support government policies on environmental management and report any unforeseen circumstances for quick intervention.

  • Tech in transportation‘ll promote entrepreneurship, others

    Tech in transportation‘ll promote entrepreneurship, others

    Technology is redefining every facet of human endeavour. From health, agric, education and communication to many others, technology has changed everything. The General Manager, Uber sub-Saharan Africa, Alon Lits, says multi-modal transport powered by technology is the best way to promote entrepreneurship, relieve pressure on infrastructure, and deliver safe and efficient transport that helps people connect with work, business and leisure opportunities. He shares his perspectives with LUCAS AJANAKU.

    How it started

    when Uber was first established in 2009, its mission was to help people everywhere get a ride, safely, quickly and at the push of a button. Eight years later, that mission remains the same and Uber’s innovative, technology-driven business model is still fundamentally changing the way people think about meeting their transport needs.

    For the past four years, Uber has been delivering this same level of transformation across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and with more than 1.8 million active riders using the app, Uber certainly has reason to celebrate its fourth anniversary on the continent this September.

    And it’s not just Uber that has benefited from the stellar uptake of its convenient offering in Africa. The SSA countries in which Uber now has a presence, and the citizens of those countries, are also reaping significant socio-economic rewards thanks to the transformation that the Uber approach has helped to drive.

    Benefits/milestones

    At an economic level, these benefits take many forms. In many cities, the reliability, immediacy, and convenience that Uber offers to city residents and visitors is having the positive impact of helping to reduce congestion. In most urban parts of sub-Saharan Africa, single occupant vehicles remain the biggest contributors to gridlock. But increasing numbers of city residents are recognising that Uber offers a cost effective way of sharing their daily commute with others, thereby reducing the total number of vehicles on the roads, while at the same time cutting down on the costly wear and tear that regular stop-start driving causes.

    Uber usage in South Africa is a prime example of these shifting private transport perceptions. This month, almost 25 000 riders each used Uber more than 10 times a week, which points to the increasing adoption of this tech-driven solution, not just as a leisure transport option, but also for work and business purposes. This demonstrates that Uber is a true alternative to private car ownership.

    Another significant benefit that Uber is delivering in sub-Saharan Africa is enabling and empowering economic opportunities and offering more choice. The steadily growing number of Uber driver-partners in countries across the region is testament to the appeal of the Uber business model. That’s because it creates real opportunities for local entrepreneurs to create and enjoy the flexibility and enhanced earnings potential – for themselves and, ultimately, for individuals that many of them bring into their thriving and growing transport businesses.

    And growing demand for trips across the sub-Saharan Africa region leads to a steadily growing need for drivers. Currently more than 29 000 such driver-partners are taking advantage of the earnings generating opportunities delivered by the Uber app. Importantly, the Uber model allows these individuals to be as flexible as they need to be, which means that they are able to earn what they want, when they want to, either as  full-time entrepreneurs or to supplement other sources of income.

    Uber investigates partnerships with businesses that bring benefits to drivers, such as the multiple vehicle financing programmes that have been made available to drivers across South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, that reduce barriers to credit and capital. The first partnership of this kind was implemented in South Africa with WesBank, offering existing drivers access to vehicles at preferential rates, with a view to establishing their own passenger transport business. This unique model is based on driver ratings and earning potential, as opposed to the norm of credit checks. The model was successfully expanded across sub-Saharan Africa and is being tested in markets across EMEA.

    Uber also invests heavily into supporting its driver-partners in their businesses through ongoing technological innovation as well as physical presences in the form of support hubs. Apart from the existing Greenlight Hubs across SSA, five more of these state-of-the-art Greenlight Hubs were opened in Dar Es Salaam, Nairobi, Kampala, Kumasi and Lagos this year and, in addition to offering driver-partners technical and app support, they also offer information sessions and tailored workshops to driver-partners, focusing on training and skills development.

    In a region of high unemployment and stagnating economic prospects, Uber’s business partnership approach provides an accessible means for entrepreneurs to not only supplement their own income, but also to become small business owners, thereby helping to improve the lives and futures of individuals, families and communities.

    Importantly, Uber’s approach to shifting perspectives of how people in sub-Saharan Africa move around their cities is one of partnership with all stakeholders. Uber strives at all times to collaborate closely with local regulators to understand the challenges they are grappling with in their cities and then help them to develop workable and accessible solutions that benefit people and economies. It’s with this in mind that Uber has just launched Uber Movement in Johannesburg, a new website to help urban planners, city leaders, third parties and the public better understand the transportation needs of their cities.

    Technology in transport

    This partnership approach has always been at the heart of the business because our global experience has shown us that multi-modal transport powered by technology is the best way to promote entrepreneurship, relieve pressure on infrastructure, and deliver safe and efficient transport that helps people connect with work, business and leisure opportunities.

  • Boosting waterways transportation in Lagos

    Boosting waterways transportation in Lagos

     How can the waterways in Lagos be made safe and effectively utilised? These are the questions that begged for anwsers all through a stakeholders’ forum which set out to distill ideas on how to reposition the sector, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.

    The Lagos State Government and stakeholders at a forum on the waterways agreed that the sector had, for far too long, been comatose.

    Since the Second Republic, when former Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande intoduced in the state the Baba Kekere and Ita Faji ferries, which brought a new lease of life to people in many riverine communities along the state’s coastline, especially around Mile 2 to Marina, Ipakodo and Ebute in Ikorodu. Lagosians are worried because the feat achieved by the state in the 80s was left to rot.

    From a sector that hit about three million passenger traffic yearly, up to the late 80s, the waterways traffic has dropped to about one million passenger per annum, with hardly any presence whatsoever in goods/cargo freighting.

    But Governor Akinwunmi Ambode seems set to play big in waterways transportation. With 54 percent of its mass covered by water, the state has a very strong comparative advantage.

    At the stakeholders forum last week, government sources said the governor is determined to replicate his imprint on the waterways, as he achieved appreciable success on the road.

    The need for the state to deepen its involvement in the waterways is not far-fetched.

    With a population put by the state’s Director of Transport Policy Dr Taiwo Salam, at 25 million, Lagos, arguably, is bigger than countries such as Ireland with a population of (4.773 million), New Zealand (4.693 million), or Australia (24.13 million), or some West African countries such as Togo (7.606 million) or Cote d’Ivoire (23.7 million), though tagging behind Ghana with a population of 28.21 million.

    However, while most of these countries have out-paced Lagos with robust and thriving inter-modal transportation, (road, air and water), Lagos is still tied to primordial ways with 95 percent of goods and passenger traffic relying on road.

    According to statistics from the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, (LAMATA), while the road element remains the heaviest and most popular means of transportation, waterways, despite its huge potential, accounts for about one percent passenger traffic in the state.

    The result is a gripping daily traffic congestion, which is gradually making travels on the state roads a nightmare. For instance, Apapa, a scenic area up till late 90s, has become a no-go area as because of traffic congestion that saw bumper-to-bumper parking of containerised trailers and petroleum tankers on every inch of roads in the area, also stretching from the Apapa ports up to Ikorodu Road.

    To relieve the roads, the other modes of transportation, especially the waterways, the government said, must work; and to work, the government must have effective control of the waterways. That was the message of Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA)  Managing Director Oluwadamilola Emmanuel.

    Emmanuel said the agency had been encumbered from generating appreciable revenue since a High Court impeded its sail in March, 2014, until the judgment was set aside in July, this year; a verdict that was validated by another Federal High Court last Friday.

    Emmanuel said the forum was to drum stakeholders support for a “safe, clean and prosperous waterways.

    According to the LASWA chief, government is not interested in driving any operator out of business. But all operators must continue to support it and join hands with it to build a virile sector.

    “LASWA as the inland waterways regulator for Lagos State would continue its role of ensuring safety and the enforcement of the various initiatives and interventions of the government on the waterways, despite its not been able to generate substantial revenue due to court injunctions,” he said.

    Emmanuel might just have taken the sail off the wings of many stakeholders, who had besieged the forum, believing the government was bent on driving them out of business.

    “Whatever the government wanted to do, let it come with a human face as these operators are responsible members of the society and have been contributing to the development of the state in their own ways,” a boat operator, High Chief Wellington Ilori-Ajigbulu, said.

    Ilori-Ajigbulu was responding to hints by Emmanuel that the agency would soon embark on an inspection of boats, canoes and ferries operating on the waterways.

    “There are minimum standards that we would not compromise. If you must operate on our waterways, you must comply by having lighting systems, have enough life jackets for your passengers, have a functional and water worthy (as against road worthy) vessels and have enough operators to handle your operations.”

    He said the agency would not overlook any operator’s infractions; “If your boat is not fit, we would not hesitate to take you off the waterways so that you don’t endanger the lives of other Lagosians. Government is sick of accidents that occur on our waterways as a result of preventable hazards.”

    Emmanuel insisted operators must raise their standards and new entrants must maintain the established standards, as the government wanted a sustainable development of its waterways.

    Admitting that the sector is ever changing, Emmanuel said the onus was on operators to join hands with the government, which would continuously work towards creating the right environment for operators to thrive and flourish, while operators should support by paying requisite dues and fees to the state government.

    LASWA, he said, has begun regularisation to capture the database of operators on the waterways.

    “Stakeholders should come to us, we need all your data, it is not only about money, we want to engage you to move the water sector forward. We implore you to come and regularise your membership,” he said.

    The Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Hakeem Dickson, urged operators to register their boats with the government.

    He said boats operating would be given number plates. “Any operator without a number plate is illegal and should be taken off the waterways.”

    He observed that plate numbers would help promote safety on water as boats could be tracked easily, and also assist in reducing the challenges encountered in securing insurance for their operations. He disclosed that discussions were ongoing about its introduction.

    He also appealed to boat and ferry operators to ensure that their passengers wear life jacket and shun overloading to avoid accident on the waterways.

    General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Adesina Tiamiyu, said the agency had been well equipped to combat emergency anywhere in the state.

    Harping on the need for stakeholders to embrace safety standard, Tiamiyu said with two Jet skis and a marine unit established by LASEMA, the emergency responder is prepared to be more engaged in emergency activities even on the waterways.

    The LASEMA chief urged operators and passengers using the waterways to be safety conscious and arm themselves with the emergency numbers 112 and 767, in case of any mishap on the water or off it.

    Chairman, Lagos State Ferry Services, Paul Kalejaiye stated that government’s commitment to developing the waterways was irreversible, as it remained the only way to “move the state from a mega city to a smart city.”

    He criticised the National Inland Waterways (NIWA), for contesting a court judgment ruling which was in Lagos’ favour with the state government, just because of the money it wanted to generate rather than being conscious of the safety of operators and the passengers.

    Kalejaiye said for effective ferry service in the state’s waterways, at least 1,000 ferries were needed to convey passengers to and from their destinations across the state.

    Though admitting that government has no business being in business, Kalejaiye however said government would be investing in the purchase of modern ferries in order to set standard for all operators wishing to operate ferry services in the state.

    Though the government had in the interim imported four such ferries, it, is however looking inwards especially to the establishment of a boat manufacturing firm at Epe, where according to him a large tranche of land had been acquired by the government and work would start in earnest.

    “The state government thinking forward is already envisaging a thriving industry and has acquired a large parcel of land at Epe for the building of boats, barges and ferries for local use.”

    Chairman of boat operators in the state Mr Ganiu Tarzan commended the government for coming up with plans to build boats locally. He said local producers abound in Ajegunnle, Epe and Ikorodu, that can produce fibre vessels and boats, adding that such industry would drive more participation in the water transportation sector.

    Tarzan said: “You can imagine if boats and ferries are produced locally. A huge economy can be jumpstarted as all coastline states would begin to look towards Lagos to purchase sea worthy boats. Again, you conserve foreign exchange and crash the soaring cost of acquiring good boats. Right now, one sea faring boat with good engines could cost between N5 to N8 million. I bought one for N10 million. All this could be brought down with government coming up with plans to support operators who can form cooperative society with loans.”

    Kalejaiye said the boat building initiative is just one of the several initiatives of the government to stimulate the sector. He said government has identified 13 water routes, seven of which are being dredged while channelization is also ongoing on others.

    Government, according to the Lagsferry boss, may acquire more water hyacinth machines to combat the menace across the state, even as he disclosed that government is building several jetties and interchanges in its bid to make water transportation lucrative and attractive. To encourage night travels on the water, government, he added would soon embark on lighting up the routes.

    He said the government would concession the running of some of the routes to private operators even as LagsFerry which would soon move its head office back to Mile 2, would continue to be the regulator of all equipments on its waterways to ensure the safety of all operators, goods and passengers.

    Kalejaiye is confident that Lagosians haven’t seen anything yet on water transportation.

    Only time would tell if these interventions would bolster a people’s sagging confidence in a sector made unsafe in recent time by avoidable fatalities.

  • Transportation: From old to new order

    Transportation: From old to new order

    Transportation was in a shambles when the Buhari administration came on board over two years ago. Since its coming, there have been some orderliness and strenous efforts to get rail back on track to impact macro-economy, ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE writes.

    FOR years, transportation has been a worrisome sector. Successive administrations found it a hard nut to crack. But within two years, the Buhari administration seems to be getting a hang of the sector.

    The sector which in 2013, contributed 4.1 per cent to the  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and dropped to less than two per cent a year later, was symptomatic of the bigger crisis facing the macro-economy.

    With a population of nearly 180 million, which relies mainly on road transportation, the government knew that changing the narrative is paramount to changing the sector.

    Thus President Muhammadu Buhari  resolved to deliver an efficient and effective inter-modal transportation in which rail plays a pivotal role with the other modes; road, waterways and aviation, complementing one another.

    To achieve this, the government invested in the construction of new roads projects, constructing and rehabilitation and expanding of old ones, repairing rutted rail tracks, re-fleeting of railway rolling stocks, dredging of the inland waterways and retooling airports nationwide, among others.

    The concentration on road transportation over the years has left a tell tale sign- many are dilapidated.

    It also left a negative collateral effect on the economy. For instance, while the transport sector contributed N217, 313.24 million to the GDP in 2016, the aviation industry alone in Dubai, contributes about 27 per cent to the GDP of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Unlike the UAE, rather than witnessing growth, the contribution of the transportation sector to the economy marginally shrank last year, compared to N229, 523.13 million in 2015.

    Institute of Directors (IoD) President Mr. Yemi Akeju, said Nigeria may not be close to having a fine transportation system until it answers these questions: Why do Nigerians prefer to clear their goods from the neighbouring countries? Why is it  that what works in other countries does not work in Nigeria? Why is there dominance of foreign-owned and foreign-crew vessels in coastal shipping trade and there is no Nigerian flagged ocean-going vessels? Why is it that there is no national carrier in the aviation sector?

    To address some of the sector’s challenges, the government decided to put in place a national policy to drive all its initiatives and interventions in the sector.

    The government sent some bills, among them; the National Transportation Commission (amendment 2001) Bill, National Road Fund (establishment) Bill, National Road Authority Bill, and the Nigeria Railway Corporation (Repeal) 1954 Act, to the National Assembly.

    Of these, only the NRC Repeal Act 1954, has been passed by the Senate. It awaits concurrent passage by the House of Representatives.  Others are  at either the committee or second reading level at both chambers.

    Power, Works and Housing Minister Mr Babatunde Fashola, has turned the nation into a work yard, with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads across the six geo-political zones.

     

    Rail Amanda

     

    But by far the most audacious impact of the administration’s resolve to change things could be felt in the railway sector.

    The government inherited the 25-years National Railway Masterplan, which was envisioned by the Obasanjo administration in 2003.

    With 11 years remaining to the full actualisation of the dream to bequeath a fully functional and modernised railway system to Nigerians, the Buhari government knew it could no longer delay the delivery of a functional rail system.

    This shift in perspective, according to a highly placed source in the Ministry of Transportation, informed the speed of delivery of the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge train, which had been in the pipeline since 2006.

    Transportation Minister Mr Rotimi Amaechi at different occasions had assured of government’s readiness to accelerate the development on the railway.

    The Buhari government identified 16 new routes that would be actualised via the standard gauge, across the country. Among them is the Calabar-Lagos coastal line that is slated to begin by last quarter this year.

    In February, the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, flagged off the construction of the $1.5 billion Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge, the segment II of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge rail project. The project has been penciled down for delivery by December next year.

    “Unlike what Nigerians have known of projects of this nature that takes years to accomplish, I intend to bring Mr President to ride on a speed train on standard gauge from Lagos-Ibadan by December next year,” Amaechi told reporters last month.

    “The vision of President Muhammadu Buhari,” Amaechi added, “is to deliver modern railway system as the bedrock of its transportation agenda.”

    While the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge runs seamlessly, the government is set to deliver on the Abuja light rail, even as it sets the last quarter of the year for the delivery of the Abuja-Itakpe standard gauge project (which services the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mills), which incidentally had been on the drawing board since the early 80s.

    While the government charts the new speed train template and is aggressively pursuing it, it is also striving to develop new ways of sustaining the tempo of maintenance on its old narrow gauge system.

    It concessioned the rehabilitation and re-fleeting of the entire 3,500 kilometres of the West and Eastern rail lines to General Electric – an American industrial giant lately.

    Under the arrangement, tactically approved by the Federal Executive Council last month, the firm, would not only rehabilitate the rutted rail lines, but supply all rolling stocks – 20 locomotives and 200 wagons that would reposition the railway and enable it re-occupy lost grounds in the mass transit initiatives of the government.

    The GE is also expected to establish a Transportation University with Faculty in Railway Engineering, to develop requisite manpower needed to sustain the  revitalisation of the railway sector.

    With the arrangement, the railway, according to the Minister, would shore up its stake from a paltry 1.2 million passenger traffic and about 100,000 metric tonnes of cargo freight yearly to over 10 million passenger traffic and 100 million metric tonnes of freights yearly in the short to medium term.

     

    Waterways

     

    Last week, the Transportation Minister disclosed that the government would spend $186 million to acquire helicopters, gun boats and other vessels needed to combat sea pirates and fortify and safeguard the nation’s waterways.

    This, according to him, will send the right signals to criminals lurking on the highseas of government’s determination to smoke out pirates from the nation’s territorial waters and make the nation safe for sea faring vessels on the international waters.

    On the inland waterways, the government using National Inland Waterways has begun the dredging of River Niger and would continue to address this twice yearly in order to clean the silts and make the river deep enough for businesses along its banks, while it will also continue to collaborate with other coastal states to ensure that the waterways are cleared of all encumbrances that may impede safe water transportation.

     

    Aviation

     

    Like the railway, the concession talks have also dominated the aviation sector, with plans afoot to revisit the actualisation of a national carrier.

    Government have gone ahead to appoint transaction advisers for the concession of four major airports; including the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers State despite opposition from workers.

    Nothing dominated the public space in the past year than the rehabilitation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for its runway rehabilitation and its attendant diversion of air traffic to Kaduna, a project it delivered on schedule after six months to the admiration of Nigerians.

    Experts said government needs to apply same zeal into delivering other projects in the transportation sector as contained in its roadmap.

    The concession of the airports and the revival of a national carrier top the list of outstanding projects needing government’s attention. Aviation experts contend that Nigeria continued to be at the receiving end of international carriers and local operators because it stopped to actively play in the sector over a decade ago.

    They expressed indignation that a country of close to 200 million people cannot boast of a national carrier.

    But experts are advising the government to thread with caution in coming up with the national carrier. Many have warned against starting the carrier on a shaky note while private sector should be allowed to take charge.

    As experts and industry players await the model of the national carrier to be suggested by the transaction advisers, it is expected that the momentum would yield positive results and ultimately culminate in a more profitable aviation sector.

     

    New Order

     

    After two years in the saddle, the government has left no one in doubt of its readiness to evolve something new out of the old order. It is committed to make the sector work.

    With two years left to the end of its first term, can the President do much? Amaechi believes he can and urges Nigerians to support him.

  • A transportation relief for workers

    For workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), the commissioning of the 25 high capacity buses was long overdue.

    The scheme was conceived as a palliative to cushion the effect of economic hardship and difficulty in vehicular transportation of members of staff to and from the office.

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello who commissioned the buses said it will boost the welfare of the staff of the FCT Administration adding that they are the first tranche of the FCTA Staff Bus Scheme.

    Bello reiterated that the FCTA Staff Bus Scheme is very important to his Administration because the welfare of staff remains topmost for increased productivity and quality service delivery to the residents of the Territory.

    The minister recalled that that a Committee headed by the Director of Establishment and Training was constituted to work out modality for a short and long term strategy on the operation of Staff Bus Scheme.

    He explained that the initial number in the Staff Bus Scheme comprise of 25 large capacity buses which monetary value would be deducted as part of liquidation of the FCTA loans to the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company (AUMTCO).

    According to him, the FCT Administration intends to boost the operation of the Scheme and to make it more vibrant, by collaborating with development partners in getting more buses as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to expand the scope of its operation to cover staff of other Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the Federal Capital Territory.

    Bello stated that at the early stage of his Administration, the Scheme was conceived as a palliative to cushion the effect of economic hardship and difficulty in vehicular transportation of members of staff to and from the office.

    He announced that members of staff would be conveyed on subsidized fares from all the routes within the Federal Capital Territory including Keffi in Nasarawa State and Suleja in Niger State to reduce the cost and stress being faced by staff.

    The minister however, called for regular maintenance to ensure that the vehicles last long; adding, “high maintenance culture remains the watchword of the current FCT Administration”.

    He paid tribute to the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and the FCT Department of Establishment and Training that worked very hard to make the programme a reality.

    The FCT Director of Establishment and Training, Salihu Hawat Mohammed said that the commissioning of these buses has demonstrated the unwavering commitment of the FCT Administration to the welfare of the members of staff.

    According to him, the scheme has also added to the Minister’s achievements in promoting industrial harmony by ensuring regular payments of salaries to staff even at the critical time of recession.

    He emphasised that the scheme would boost the morale of the staff and reduce stress of their transportation needs, to and from their respective offices.

    Mohammed said: “Their punctuality will be assured as the buses are expected to ply 11 routes within the FCT and contiguous states to arrive FCTA secretariat by 7:30am and depart offices by 4:30pm to their various destinations to ensure accountability.”

    The Chairman, Joint Union Action Committee, (JUAC), FCTA/FCDA, Comrade Titus Okoro was optimistic that the development will go a long way to alleviate the hardship of workers in terms of getting to work as early as possible for those who are not mobile.

    Okoro promised the administration that the drivers will maintain the buses with every sense of duty and responsibility.

    FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and other top officials of the FCT Administration also attended the commissioning ceremony.

  • Senate committee okays N1.3b for Transportation Ministry

    Senate committee okays N1.3b for Transportation Ministry

    The Senate Committee on Marine Transport approved the N1.3billion budget proposal for the Transportation Ministry yesterday.

    The Committee said it was committed to ensuring that the objectives of the 2017 budget were achieved through oversight activities.

    Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Ahmed Yerima, said rigorous oversight would follow the budget approval to ensure proper implementation.

    He assured that the senate would work with the executive to get the country out of recession, adding that they would support any agency of government that showed commitment.

    Transportation Minister Chibuike Amaechi, said contracts for the dredging of the critical part of River Benue had been awarded and that work would soon commence.

    He said the project was a fall out of the decision of the Federal Government to maximize the use of the resources of 12 major rivers in the country.

    The minister added that the capital dredging of the Lower River Niger from Warri to Baro, covering a distance of 572 kilometers had commenced.

    He added the Baro River Port had achieved 95 per cent completion, adding that arrangements were being made for the provision of cargo handling equipment and the turning basin for the port.

    According to him, government had approved the upward review of fees and tariffs for the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to enable the country look inward and improve its economic base.

    He said the government was determined to encourage a river-dependent sustainable economic development through marine transportation.

    “The 2017 budget is for economic recovery and growth, therefore the Federal Ministry of Transportation and its agencies under the 2017 budget seek to consolidate and sustain on the achievements and performances recorded in the past years.

    “We will focus on the sustainability of the gains achieved in the sector, in terms of port infrastructure development, maritime administration, human capacity building and effective technical and economic regulation.

    “The Federal Executive Council has approved the Outline Business Case (OBC) for Ibom Deep Sea Port on 60, 20, 20 per cent basis between the concessionaire, Akwa Ibom government and Nigerian Ports Authority.

    “On Badagry deep sea port, FEC has approved the OBC for the project to he funded 100 per cent by the proponent,” he said.