The Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi, said that the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, in recognition of the transportation sector as an untapped goldmine, and in its quest to diversify the economy, is making concerted efforts towards improving the sector and making it economically viable, efficient and effective in terms of service delivery.
The Minister stated this at the opening ceremony of the stakeholders’ forum on Innovations/Solutions on Road Transport Operations in Nigeria with the theme: “Transforming the Road Transport and Mass Transit Operations Private Partnership” held yesterday in Abuja.
Amaechi, who was represented by the Director of Transport Planning and Coordination (TPC), Solomon Ishaya, stated that the meeting has brought together stakeholders in the Road and Mass Transit Sub-sector, with the purpose of showcasing innovations/solutions proposed by the private sector, to improve transportation in Nigeria.
He further explained that the road transport sub-sector accounts for over 90 percent in terms of movement of persons and goods in the country maintaining that there is need for all hands to be on deck to move the sub-sector forward.
According to the minister, the federal ministry of Transportation, during its first Annual Stakeholders’ Workshop in July, 2016, had called on the Private Sector to provide implementable innovations in the road sub-sector, noting that proposals on various solutions on how to improve the road transport system in the country had been received for necessary action.
He further said that “it is noteworthy to state that companies making presentations in this forum were selected from the numerous solutions presented at a 2-day innovation exercise for solution providers from the private sector in May 2017, admitting that the select products for presentation have been found to be very innovative and capable of adding value to the Sub-sector.”
The National President of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) who doubled as the chairman of the Stakeholders’ Forum, High Chief Musa Shehu, while declaring the meeting open, expressed appreciation over the turn-out of the participants and called on the major stakeholders in the transport sector, from different fields to be more committed and steadfast in improving the sector.