Transportation – A complete change

[MrVan]

PIECEMEAL development will not help Nigeria. The national attitude to development is mirred in poor choices that highlight the blinkered approach to development. It should be cause for concern.

Why does every talk about transportation centre on roads? What about the rails? Does anyone spare a thought for water transportation, considering Nigeria's vast coastal areas? Will investments in water transportation not be cheaper than the costly long bridges that we prefer in the coastal areas? Is cheaper air travel possible? Can industries benefit from cheaper domestic air freight of their materials?

Even with the concentration on roads, do the authorities have any interest in patronising local alternatives to the current construction materials that are mainly imported? A lot needs to change about transportation and other nexuses that enhance development.

When Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Ayogu Eze, raises alarm about the imminent collapse of the economy unless road development becomes a priority, he misses two major points. There is no economy, in the sense he means it, and the informal sector, a main sustainer of the 'economy' learns to operate without any assistance from governments. The result is the present chaos.

Governments try to style the economy after fanciful ideas that exclude more than 90 million Nigerians, those who have been tagged extremely poor. Roads do not lead to where they live. Their poverty is rooted in neglect of agriculture, the mainstay of the economy, which drains billions of Naira through revolving fertilizer and other scams.

However, Ayogu made the important point that, "If we are developing federal roads and the states and local governments are not collaborating with us, the road development efforts will not be robust and sustainable."

Roads  are doubtlessly important, but they are another drain on the economy. Without support of the rails and water transportation, Nigerian roads, no matter how well they are constructed, are doomed to short lifespans. In the coastal areas, the cost of constructing and maintaining road, would not make them a first option.

According to the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, "For Nigeria to be among the first 20 economies in the world, our road infrastructure needs to grow from 194,000 km to about 300,000 km. This will require huge investments by all the three tiers of government and the private sector." The Minister too, missed the point. Vast road networks do not necessarily translate to lower cost of transportation.

Efficiencies in allocation of resources, lower cost of doing business, stability in government policies, improved skills would result in a more competitive economy. More kilometres of roads cannot achieve Vision 202020 without electricity and other key niches of development.

We need a comprehensive approach to development

 

Vanguard Nigeria