The Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation and Chairman of the Nigeria Transportation Commissioners Forum (NTCF), Gbenga Dairo, has called on all states to expedite urban mobility projects. This statement was made following the weekend's stakeholder forum for the National Urban Mobility Programme (NUMP) held in Abuja.
Mr. Dairo underscored the critical need for immediate action, pointing out that Nigeria's urban population is expected to soar to 264 million by 2050, significantly straining transportation systems. "Daily, commuters in major cities are losing as much as four hours to traffic, while low-income families are spending an excessive portion of their earnings on transport," he stated.
The stakeholder forum gathered together state commissioners, federal representatives, and development partners, including the World Bank. Mathew Vergis, the Country Director for the World Bank, reiterated the organization's commitment to providing support through funding, technical expertise, and advisory services. Additionally, Dr. Abdulateef Shittu, Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, emphasized the importance of transparency in funding and long-term maintenance to ensure the successful delivery of projects.
Under Mr. Dairo's guidance, the NTCF has instructed the various states to submit ‘shovel-ready’ projects for initial investment and to incorporate existing assets from the Nigeria Public Transportation Program (NPTP), such as terminals, rail systems, and CNG infrastructures, to maximize impact. States that have not completed NUMP engagement surveys have been urged to do so without delay.
The forum also celebrated the robust involvement of officials from several states, with presentations from Cross River, FCT, Kaduna, and Lagos contributing to the planning of the next phase of NUMP. In closing, Mr. Dairo urged all states to take swift actions to prepare Nigeria’s urban transport systems for an increasing population, whilst leveraging international support for sustainable and inclusive infrastructure development.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!