Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said if elected, he would partner the National Assembly to review the organisation, structure and operations of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Tinubu, who made the pledge on Thursday in Abuja during his consultative session with the Federation of Construction Industry in Nigeria, also promised to decongest the ports in Lagos by modernizing other ports outside the state.
He said his administration would also prioritise the completion of critical ongoing national railway projects such as Lagos – Kano; Benin – Abakaliki; Port Harcourt – Maiduguri; Lagos – Calabar; and Kano – Maradi.
“In addition, we shall deploy technology and security assets to protect travellers and ensure the safety and integrity of our railway infrastructure. We will sustain the investments already made by the Buhari administration and deepen ongoing reforms in the sector.
“Apart from its cost-effectiveness, enhanced rail use will reduce strain and congestion on our roads and expressways thereby significantly lowering the number of vehicular accidents. My administration will also encourage state governments to build public transportation or metro systems in their capital cities.
“The metros will link with existing national rail lines and revolutionise urban transport in Nigeria. This will boost commerce and contribute significantly to GDP growth,” the leading presidential candidate said.
Tinubu also committed to realising “the immense opportunities inherent in the Lekki deep seaport, the first new seaport in decades, which is more than 90 per cent completed”.
He said his administration would focus on transportation infrastructure, building more roads, rails and improving water transport to ease movement.
“Overall, the transportation sector is valued at N37 trillion. Transport activities contributed 1.84% to real GDP in Q2 2022. Sustaining the political will and technical capacity to move people and goods in a safe, affordable and accessible manner will create a better future for Nigerians. We will, therefore, work hard to improve our various transportation systems and, in the process, unlock the value chain of opportunities therein,” the former Governor of Lagos State said.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, noted that infrastructure is the backbone of a nation’s economy. He said if elected, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu would continue with the infrastructure rebuilding started by President Buhari.
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