Participants, at a webinar series organized by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Thursday, including the Minister of Transportation Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and the President of the chamber, have unanimously stressed the urgent need to pass appropriate laws to usher in reforms in the rail sector in order to fast track its development as well as make it sustainably profitable and effective.
This is according to a statement signed by the Chamber’s Media Officer, Latifat Opoola.
The webinar series with the theme “Assessing Railway Development in Nigeria”, which held on Thursday was moderated by the Chamber’s Policy Centre Director, Olawale Rasheed according to the statement
Some of the identified reform areas are, the need to allow private players in the sector, constitutional amendment to move railway to the concurrent legislative list from its current place on the exclusive legislative list, linkage of corridor development with rural economy and infrastructure.
The president of ACCI, Alhaji Abubakar Al-Mujtaba, in his opening remarks, appealed for new legislative framework to allow private sector to construct and run railways while also seeking constitutional amendment to move railway from exclusive to concurrent list of the constitution.
In addition to diversification of railway financing, Al-Mujtaba also recommended the deliberate development of the local railway value chains in order to deepen local capacity development.
“We seek enhanced localisation in the implementation of the various railway projects. This will deepen local capacity development”, Al-Mujtaba said.
In his keynote address sent to the webinar, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi emphasised the need for the legislature to pass into law bills pending before it that have to do the railway sector reforms.
He averred that the passage of the Nigerian Railway Authority Bill and the National Transport Commission Bill will provide legal framework to facilitate the participation of private sector and sustain the rehabilitated and modernized railway networks in the country and thereby reducing the financial burden on Government towards railway development.
Amaechi used the opportunity to highlight the government’s performance in the development of the sector saying “the administration is focusing at bringing about a functional and industrial transportation backbone that would aid economic growth, leading to the high capital investment and social economic impact associated with railways.
“It is my considered opinion that Nigerians should be aware of this development and how the outcome of Government’s effort would positively impact on their livelihood”, assuring that the ministry has fully embraced Public-Private partnership as well as reform of legal, regulatory and institutional framework.
Some of the 84 participants at the webinar who spoke during the event include : Abubakar Al-Mutjaba (Nigeria), Victorial Akai, Mr Jide Ehizele(UK) ,Prof Andrea Guirich (Italy), Mr Hussein Askary (Sweden), Michael Banjo(UK) ,Marcus Mukoro(USA) and Rowland Ataguba (UK) who were United in denouncing the antiquated laws regulating the railway industry and pushing for new legal and regulatory structures.
Transport Economist, Prof Giuricin recommended Italian rail model for Nigeria; Rail consultant, Ehizele recommended development of rural railway strategy, focussing on linkage of corridor development with rural economy and infrastructure while Askary of Swedish Belt and Road Institute said Chinese loan for infrastructures cannot amount to debt trap.
Banjo, a transport lawyer gave an overview of progress and challenges facing the sector, recommending continuous political will, conclusion of a national transport policy and the passage of railway bills within the legislature.
The last speaker, Marcus Mukoro advocated for a national strategy to deploy diaspora railway resources to speed up Nigerian rail development.