The Minister Of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has identified leveraging technology as a factor to improve transportation’s contribution to Nigeria’s development.
Sambo made this call in Abuja during the Executive Session of the 17th National Council on Transportation (NCT) themed “Transportation Technology and Innovations for Socio-Economic Sustainability”.
While describing the nation’s transportation sector as unique and dynamic, he added that it does not exist for itself but rather serves as a veritable platform for other sectors of the economy to flourish.
“The premium placed on the transportation sector cannot be overemphasized. It encourages, among other things, social interaction and socioeconomic integration, access to education, healthcare, commerce and development.”
“To further improve on the contribution of Transportation to Nigeria’s development, we need to leverage the potentials of Technology hence, the relevance of this years’ theme.” he said.
The Minister assured that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration understood the imperatives and prioritized the transportation sector in all the development plans which included the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and the current Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP 2021-2025) which is a segment of the Nigeria Agenda 2050 long term plan being developed by the current administration
He recalled that the Ministry of Communications & Digital Economy as well as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation were recently rebranded to show the importance of Technology in recent times.
“Technology contributed about 18.44% to the Nations GDP in the second quarter of 2022 as against 6.33% contribution of the oil Sector.
“Hence, there is no gain saying that all over the world, Technology/ICT has taken the centre stage of human interactions as it has reduced cost of production, ensures efficient movement of goods & Services, simplifies communication processes and improves overall quality of life.”
“If transportation is to continue to be relevant to drive an innovative and digital economy, then Transportation Stakeholders in Nigeria must envision the future together, strategize, and adopt SMART goals that can be implemented to withstand the dynamic trends and changes the sector is constantly experiencing around the world,” he posited.
Sambo argued that there is no better time than now for transport stakeholders to plan and executive their plans in order to maximize the benefit of the lean resource available for transport development at all levels.
Meanwhile, he asserted that the Lekki Deep Seaport is a perfect testimony of the new template of development in the transportation industry, where the host State, Lagos and private investors are the major financiers of the new port.
Sambo explained that irrespective of security equipment, gadgets and solutions, the role of the human element remains paramount in the securing of critical transportation infrastructure which are so capital intensive to maintain or restore when damaged.
