We’ll sustain transport sector revival, FG assures

By Albert Akota

The federal government has vowed to work assiduously to sustain the renewal of dilapidated roads and other means of transport infrastructures in the country.
The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who stated this yesterday at the ongoing 2018 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation, (CILT) Africa Forum in Abuja, said the federal government places high premium on the revival of the transport.
The Minister who described the theme of the forum “Building Capacity for Efficient Logistics and Transport Services in Africa” said the role of logistics index in measuring national competitiveness in transport sector would amount the rehabilitation of existing transport facilities, provision of new ones as well as ensuring capacity building.
“You may recall that President Mohammadu Buhari launched a four-year Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP spanning through the years of 2017-2020, declaring that his administration would henceforth drive aggressive economic growth with the same zeal and vigor it has deployed in fighting corruption and insecurity.
“In this regard, this administration places a high premium on the revival of the transport sector in its entirety by the rehabilitation of existing transport infrastructure, provision of new ones as well as ensuring capacity building, while finding ways to improve financial capabilities.
“This year’s conference with the theme: Building Capacity for Efficient Logistics and Transport Services in Africa is apt, as it is at the very heart of problems confronting economic growth and development in Africa.
“Given that the services sector accounts for over 70% of the global GDP, the role of logistics, transport and supply chain cannot be overemphasized at a time when government is seeking to improve the quality of life of its citizens through infrastructural development,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, described transportation as an integral and inseparable part of every society and emphasized the need for training and retraining of actors in the sector for optimum utilization of inherent potentials in the sector.
In his keynote address, President of the Institute, Ibrahim Jibril, said the CILT major projects include expansion of members in its membership base in Africa as well as pushing for the passage of the Bill to Enact the National Transport Commission before the Senate.