2 days Ago By Guardian Nigeria
Samuel Odewumi, a professor of Transportation and Logistics at Lagos State University (LASU), has advocated for the full approval of the national policy on transportation in 2025. According to Odewumi, the current Minister of Transportation, Senator Alkali Ahmed, has given the policy on land transportation all the attention it deserves and that he would break the jinx to get the first policy approved by the executive. He said that without transportation, the government would continue with its disjointed incrementalism approach, with little intermodal coordination and integration.
He said generally 2025 should be better than 2024. The economic outlook is better for some notable reasons. He noted that with the Dangote and NNPCL refineries up and running, the industry fuel supply is reasonably guaranteed and if the Naira stabilises below N1500 to a dollar, the price is expected to get steady below N1000 per litre gradually.
According to him, the global outlook of crude is not projected to rise rudely throughout the year barring any major disruptive upheaval. Odewumi said secondly, given that all backlog of debts to international airlines have been cleared the international flights are going to be competitively priced. He stated that the local airlines may start to increase their fleet to meet the domestic flight demands.
If the words of the Minister of Aviation are to be believed, the conditions of leasing for local airlines will be more favourable so, many new aircraft will be procured. He said rail performances should be better with the acquisition of a new fleet of rail wagons. The state governments are expected to be more involved given the new constitutional provision that removed rail from the exclusive list.
Odewumi said water will still be dominated by local artisanal operators with all the risks of frequent accidents not yet fully confronted. Only a few littoral states like Lagos will add a few more ferries and license independent major operators. He noted that the CNG rollout will continue but the infrastructure for supply will remain grossly inadequate.
The don advised that the governments should concentrate on facilitating the rollout by putting the private sector in the driver’s seat rather than attempting to be the main engine of the rollout. He also advised the Federal Government to finish up with the main trunks of Nigerian roads like Lagos to Sokoto in the West, and Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in the East, saying there are many terrible parts like Oyo to Ogbomoso along the main trunks that must be made fully motorable to ease the agonies of movements of goods and people across the country. He said the starting of new lines like Sokoto to Badagry should not take priority over the old main trunks that run through the major economic corridors of the country.
Odewumi said the narrow gauge of Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Lagos to Kano should be made fully functional to relieve the main road arteries of the heavy cargo and high density of passengers..
