Transport - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Philip Daniel Yatai
May, Mon, 2025

Regional integration: Keyamo canvasses single African air transport market

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By Gabriel Agbeja

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has called for the urgent implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to foster regional integration and enhance intra-African connectivity.

Keyamo made the call on Monday, while delivering the keynote address at the 18th Plenary and Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) held in Abuja.

According to him, improving air connectivity within Africa will significantly reduce travel time, lower costs, and provide optimal satisfaction for users.

He noted that enhanced connectivity was an asset that boosts the global competitiveness of cities, states, and regions.

“I want to highlight the urgent need to implement SAATM for the benefit of our sub-region and the entire African continent.

“SAATM represents a bold and visionary step toward achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and unlocking the immense potential of air connectivity across our continent,” Keyamo said.

In spite of multiple declarations and political will, he noted that progress on SAATM had been slow, with airspace fragmentation remaining a barrier to regional integration.

He added that SAATM, if fully implemented, would enable smoother movement of passengers and cargo with minimal transit points and competitive prices.

He urged member states to go beyond verbal commitments and take coordinated, deliberate steps to bring the initiative to life.

“Our skies must no longer be defined by closed borders, but by open opportunity,” he said, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to the ideals of the BAG.

In his welcome address, Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, reiterated that the meeting was convened to strengthen collaboration on aviation safety, security, regulatory harmonisation, and sustainable development across the region.

He emphasised Nigeria’s support for BAG’s goals and the “No Country Left Behind” initiative by the International Civil Aviation Organisation”, which seeks to ensure equal participation of all states in global aviation standards.

“Let us keep our eyes on the prize – a safe, secure, and unified aviation sector in West Africa,” Najomo added.

Also speaking, Director-General of the Banjul Accord Group, Mr Fansu Bojang, highlighted that the group currently comprised seven member states: Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

According to him, the group aims to promote safe and efficient development of civil aviation within and beyond member states.

This, he said, could be achieved through agencies like the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO), responsible for aviation safety oversight and compliance.

“There is also the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), which handles aircraft accident investigations,” he added. (NAN)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa

Video: P-CNGi deploys 160 CNG buses to NARTO, NURTW, others – CEO

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jan, Sun, 2025

Oil & Gas

Video: P-CNGi deploys 160 CNG buses to NARTO, NURTW, others – CEO

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Mr Michael Oluwagbemi, Programme Director/Chief Executive, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi)

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (P-CNGi) has deployed 160 CNG buses through its transport union partners and sub-nationals, to cushion the effect of high transport cost occasioned by fuel subsidy removal.

Mr Michael Oluwagbemi, Programme Director/Chief Executive, P-CNGi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Oluwagbemi said they had already deployed 75 buses to the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) through the Ministry of Transportation.

He said among the buses deployed to the unions, five each were dedicated for intra-state and 20 each for inter-state.

“Last year, during the yuletide we deployed 160 CNG buses to our union partners, through the Ministry of Transportation, namely – NURTW, RTEAN and NARTO.

“We deployed 75 buses through the transport unions and another 85 buses totaling 160 buses to the state government affiliated mass transit companies including Oyo, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos states and FCT among others.

“All of these transport companies, affiliated with the state government received different levels of buses, some received 15, 20, 25 and 30 buses and they have started operations.

“In the case of Pacesetters transport company, Oyo for example, we deployed 15 buses, and during the yuletide from Lagos to Ibadan they were able to bring down the prices to N3, 200 on a route that normally cost N8,000.

“People that were using patrol buses also experienced a discount because there was pressure on the price of transportation within the parks that they loaded which brought down the price to N6,000.

“These are some of the benefits that we are beginning to see from the deployment of CNG vehicles across Nigeria.

“What we intend to do this year is to focus and concentrate on deployment between Lagos and Abuja and also work with the sub-nationals to fill the gaps across Nigeria,’’ he said.

He said that 15 of the buses were deployed for intra-state, while 60 were for inter-state.

According to Oluwagbemi, all the buses deployed to the various states have started operating at 50 per cent discount, with an effective monitoring system.

He said that the FCT residents had enjoyed 40 days free rides on the buses as part of the benefits of the administration.

The P-CNGi CEO said that residents of FCT were currently enjoying a 30 per cent discount on any ride following the expiration of the free ride.

According to him, in order to enjoy this benefit, Nigerians should get on the buses by utilising specific parks operated by these unions and get a card which monitors the number of passengers on board.

“Ultimately, this is the journey; it starts by us recognising that we should utilise our God’s given resources, which is natural gas, to power this economy and make sure we reduce the cost of transportation and enhance the quality of lives of Nigerians.”

The P-CNGi is a component of the palliative intervention of the President Bola Tinubu administration directed at providing succour to the masses, occasioned by the transitive hardships of the fuel subsidy removal policy. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Afonne

FG to standardise Animal transport system – Minister

Tosin Kolade
Oct, Thu, 2024

General News

FG to standardise Animal transport system – Minister

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By Gabriel Agbeja

The Federal Government has announced its plans to establish a framework to standardise animal transportation nationwide.

Transportation Minister Sen. Said Alkali, represented by Permanent Secretary Mr Adeleye Adeoye, emphasised the need for a standardised approach to livestock transport by road, rail, ship, boat, and air.

He spoke at the National conference titled ‘Developing a Policy Framework for Transportation of Livestock in Nigeria’ on Wednesday in Abuja.

He noted the role livestock transport plays in connecting rural producers with urban markets.

Alkali outlined current challenges in Nigeria’s livestock transport, including inadequate infrastructure, animal welfare concerns, and logistical inefficiencies that increase costs for both producers and consumers.

“With a population of over 200 million, we cannot continue with the status quo.

“We need a safe, efficient, hygienic, sustainable, and humane animal transport system that aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda”.

He noted that addressing these issues would require a comprehensive, collaborative approach and expressed confidence in the conference, convened by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT).

According to him, it will engage policymakers, transport operators, livestock producers, and other stakeholders in shaping solutions.

Alkali assured attendees that recommendations from the conference would be prioritised by the ministry, in cold with relevant agencies, to implement effective changes.

“By addressing gaps in livestock transport, we can boost our agricultural sector, support food security, and drive national economic development”.

NITT Director-General, Dr Bayero Farah, noted the complexities of livestock transport.

He emphasised the need for regulations around loading, unloading, temperature control, and safe transit conditions to ensure humane and effective animal movement. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yakubu Uba