Abuja: The Federal Government has announced its commitment to safeguarding critical transport infrastructure and enhancing Nigeria’s intermodal system to facilitate safer and more efficient movement of people and goods. This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, during the 19th National Council on Transportation (NCT) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adebiyi’s presentation at the event, which concluded on Thursday, emphasized the need for stiffer penalties against the vandalism of transport assets, a significant threat to safety and service delivery. The permanent secretary highlighted that such criminal acts have led to loss of lives, destruction of public assets, and severe injuries to many Nigerians, underscoring the importance of protecting infrastructure to achieve a seamless intermodal transport system.
Adebiyi also stressed the necessity of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), robust funding mechanisms, and innovative asset-recycling models to expedite the development, rehabilitation, and sustainable management of transport infrastructure nationwide. The theme of the 4-day event was ‘Developing an Effective Transportation System for Nigeria: The Role of Intermodal Transportation’.
Senator Adamu Aliero, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transportation, also addressed the gathering, reiterating the importance of strengthening the nation’s intermodal transport system. Aliero emphasized that federal infrastructure projects should be managed by their designated sector ministries to ensure proper oversight and accountability.
He praised Adebiyi for addressing an ‘administrative anomaly’, where a railway construction contract was awarded to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI) without technical input from the Ministry of Transportation. Aliero noted that while MoFI plays a crucial financing and investment role, the technical aspects of railway infrastructure development should remain under the Federal Ministry of Transportation’s mandate.
Aliero also commended President Bola Tinubu for restoring the appropriate institutional responsibility for the project through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He assured that the National Assembly would continue to support the Ministry of Transportation in its rail development efforts, opposing arrangements that bypass core statutory ministries in favor of entities lacking the technical mandate and capacity to oversee critical infrastructure projects.