Highway engineers seek road sector reforms

The National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers, Engr. Hassan Saidu has called on the Senate, as a matter of urgency, to facilitate the Presidential assent to the Road Sector Reform Bills with the view to addressing the existing constraints in the sector
Saidu stated this during the opening ceremony of its 2023 Annual General Meeting held at the National Society of Engineers headquarters in Abuja recently.
The crucial bills, he explained, are focusing on the Federal Road Authority and National Road Fund, aimed at establishing a robust governance structure and securing funding for sustainable road development and maintenance in Nigeria.
Saidu said: “We hereby recommend as follows: As a matter of urgency, we urge the Senate to facilitate the Presidential assent to the Road Sector Reform Bills with the view to addressing the existing constraints in the sector. The choice of pavement depends on the design criteria and available funds for initial construction.”
In his keynote address, the Chairman of Crown Crest Global Limited, Engr. Chris Okoye, called for the restructuring of the Ministry of Transportation to accommodate all modes of transportation for better efficiency.
Also, he called for a critical review of Nigeria’s transportation sector, saying that the role of the transportation sector in driving the economic growth of any nation cannot be overemphasised.
Okoye said until things are put in proper perspective as far as roads in Nigeria are concerned, the country will remain behind among the comity of nations.
He said road transportation in particular remains the thrust of Nigeria’s economy as it constitutes 90 percent of the movement of goods and services across the country.
Meanwhile, 71 members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) were conferred with the Fellowship of the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NIHTE) at the event.