The Federal Ministry of Transportation has charged states across the nation to key into developments of inland water transportation.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Ajani Magdalene Nwanwuche, gave the charge at a Transport forum recently in Abuja.
According to him: “The deployment of deep blue sea project for safety and secured shipping is a major achievement as well as increased public, private sector engagement in the development of world class facilities within the properties of the Nigerian Inland Water ways Authority (NIWA) in Lagos State, and I am encouraging other states to key into development of inland water transportation.”
She said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari recognises the importance of the transportation sector to the industrialisation and diversification of the Nigerian economy; hence it leveraged the sector by reviving and rehabilitating existing transport infrastructure providing new ones as well as ensuring the development of professional capacity building for manpower to drive the sector.
She noted that transportation constitute a significant factor to national economic prosperity as transportation facilitates international and local trades, supports food security, generates employments, delivers energy and enables industrial and infrastructural development.
Nwanwuche noted that the transport developmental strides of the present administration are evident in the rehabilitation of existing narrow gauge rail lines and the development of standard gauge railway lines to connect cities and towns within and outside the country.
The Permanent Secretary also stated that the development of deep seaports, ports and the automation of the nation’s ports operations to facilitate the ease of doing business are the thoughts and evidence realities of the Ministries for sector developments, adding that the Ministry of Transportation is not deterred in its vision to evolve a world class transportation system in Nigeria.