Linking Nigeria cities through railways, roads a must – Shettima

— Says Nigeria’s obstruction services ‘ll stay Africa’s logistics hub

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA— THE Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima connected Monday restated the steadfast resoluteness of President Bola Tinubu’s medication to nexus each cities successful Nigeria done railways and roads to heighten industrialization.

Senator Shettima besides said that the lone mode Nigeria tin support its pb arsenic the logistics hub of Africa is to revive and revitalize the nation’s railway services.

The Vice President, who stated this successful Abuja erstwhile helium declared unfastened the 2nd International Railway Conference, called for beardown networking, partnerships, and collaboration among stakeholders, insisting that the task of taking afloat vantage of the galore opportunities successful the railway assemblage is not 1 to beryllium taken lightly.

He assured that it was specified a rebirth that inspired railway projects and modernization nether the medication of President Bola Tinubu.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the situation up of america is to pb this contention arsenic the logistics hub of Africa by reviving and revitalizing our railway services. We indispensable beryllium conscious of our spot arsenic the anchor of West Africa’s system and location to the continent’s largest colonisation arsenic we hole for the adoption of modern railway infrastructure.

“This awakening inspired projects specified arsenic the Kano–Maradi railway modernization, which opens caller gateways for commercialized nether the African Continental Free Trade Area,” helium said.

VP Shettima drew attraction to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which helium said “is besides shaped by the urgent request to trim the load connected roads and highways crossed the country,” conscionable arsenic helium decried decades of over-reliance connected roadworthy transportation, starring “to congestion, accelerated deterioration of infrastructure, and higher mishap rates.

“Railways connection safer, cheaper, and much environmentally affable alternatives, reducing c emissions and reinforcing our committedness to sustainable development,” helium added.

Senator Shettima, however, did not warrant an casual way to harnessing the imaginable successful the railway sector, conscionable arsenic helium demanded beardown collaboration, networking and confederation among stakeholders.

His words: “But the task of maximising the immense opportunities successful the railway assemblage is not 1 we see easy. It requires networks, partnerships, and robust collaboration with stakeholders.

“This is wherefore our ongoing modernisation projects—Lagos to Kano, Kano to Maradi, and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri—are designed with unfastened doors for backstage assemblage participation. We indispensable guarantee not lone timely completion, but besides sustainability and businesslike utilisation of these projects.”

The Vice President restated the steadfast resoluteness of the Tinubu medication to nexus each cities successful Nigeria done railways and roads to heighten industrialization.

He continued: “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated, clip and again, our nationalist determination to link our cities done roads and railways.

“Our aspiration is for a federation wherever industries tin convey their products to the market, and wherever earthy materials tin determination seamlessly from superior producers to industries without hindrance.”

Declaring the 2nd International Railway Conference open, VP Shettima described the confab arsenic an invaluable level to sermon the astir applicable strategies to execute these objectives.

He implored participants “to instrumentality afloat vantage of this unsocial accidental to prosecute the assets squad and to collectively sharpen the outcomes of” the conference.

The VP applauded the Federal Ministry of Transportation for organising the league successful collaboration with De-Sadel Nigeria Limited and the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, saying the “effort successful reconnecting our partners successful the obstruction manufacture crossed planetary jurisdictions is commendable.”

Earlier, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the High-Speed Rail (HSR) task embodies a bold and visionary inaugural and reflects the government’s committedness to the translation of Nigeria’s nationalist assemblage transportation.