The Federal government has urged Nigerians to prioritise innovative transport technology to reduce energy concerns while boosting sustainability and economic progress.
The Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali , stated this on Friday while delivering his speech at the opening of the Executive session of the 18th National Council on Transportation Conference held in Abeokuta.
The minister stressed that the year’s theme “Embracing Innovations and Technologies for Sustainable Transportation: Tackling the Energy Challenges,” is a call to action to embrace technologies that will lessen the impact of the nation’s energy challenges.
He maintained that the transportation sector is a major culprit of environmental pollution because of its over dependence on fossil fuel and non-availability of alternative energy.
” Another transportation solution is is engendering innovative and transformative initiatives for the development of new renewable energy sources and Smart city concepts.
” Consciously prioritising budgetary appropriation to tackle energy challenges and creating incentives to attract private sector investment in de-carbonization and other alternative technology,” he said.
Alkali noted that the Federal Ministry of Transportation had made significant technology advancements that would support Nigeria’s transition to an economically and environmentally sustainable mode of transportation.
Alkali disclosed that the Ministry had established a National Land Transport Policy that dealt extensively with components such as alternative energy and climate change.
” This policy draft has reached 80 per cent completion and we are looking forward to inviting you all to brainstorm and finalize the draft Policy for onward transmission to the Federal Executive Council for approval,” he said.
He commended the efforts of the Ogun state government in promoting Multimodal Transport and championing the course of e-mobility and Gas Mobility Projects.
In his remarks, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, noted that the theme of the conference showed that the industry was prepared to deliver long-term solutions and was fully aware of the constraints, realities, and problems facing it today.
Abiodun, represented by his Deputy, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele , said that state’s and the country’s ability to grow and develop sustainably depended heavily on the transportation industry.
