‘Integrating transport system best for Nigeria’

The integration of the transportation system will be the best strategy to boost the sector in Nigeria, experts have said.

They spoke yesterday in Abuja at a book presentation: ‘Abuja Integrated Transport Plan: CCECC Projects that Recreated Capital City’s Economy’.

An integrated transportation system means the combination of road, rail, airport, and inland waters working in harmony.

Reports indicate that Abuja’s transport system can hardly meet the increasing public demand. There are about 130,000 commuting vehicles daily in the city.

The Executive director of the Afri-China Media Centre, Ikenna Emewu, the book publisher, said with a 200 million population, Nigeria should not rely on road transport alone.

The Centre said the Abuja integrated mass transport project can be remodelled to boost tourism and other services.

“Such provision would tremendously change the narrative in traffic congestion that has been a crisis in a city like Lagos with over 20m residents.”

The book highlighted some of the projects that were built by CCECC and the Federal Government through the China EXIM Bank. They include Abuja to Kaduna rail, the Abuja metro rail, and the new Abuja airport terminal.

The Director, Corporate Communication, CCECC, Vincent Liu, said the firm has through its projects in Abuja, sent 67 young Nigerian graduates to study postgraduate railway engineering in China.

It has created 10,000 jobs, created a railway engineering department at the University of Abuja, and built a block of school in Abuja.