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The Afri-China Media Centre has described huge investment in transport infrastructure as a major fulcrum on which Nigeria’s economic prosperity hinges.
Speaking at the public presentation of a book on Abuja Integrated Mass Transport System, on Wednesday, the Executive Director of the Afri-China Media Centre, Mr Ikenna Emewu, noted that the Abuja integrated transport currently handled by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) should be replicated in other parts of Nigeria to make the sub-national governments attractive to investors.
According to Emewu, Nigeria, with a population of about 200 million people and a target of growing its economy, would need a robust transport system for the projections not to remain a mirage. “It wouldn’t lead the country anywhere towards economic advancement”, he noted. The centre added that the Abuja integrated mass transport project is a proof that Abuja has set out on the course of growth and economic expansion in tourism, services, retailing and distribution, hospitality, healthcare, education and other aspects of the economy.
Noting the gains associated with the integrated mass transportation, Emewu said that some other cities of the nation would be on their way to economic growth if the same integrated system is worked out there.
“Such provision would tremendously change the narrative in traffic congestion that has been a crisis in a city like Lagos with over 20 million residents.”
The document highlighted some of the projects that were built by CCECC and the Federal Government through financing agreement with the China EXIM Bank. The projects include the railway linking Abuja to Kaduna; the Abuja metro railway service that was completed in 2018 and the new Abuja airport terminal.
