tribuneonlineng.comOct 5, 2023 7:12 AM

Governments of the Southwestern States have resolved to boost regional trade with the proposed Rail interconnectivity.


The State Commissioners of Transportation from the respective states in the Southwest, management team of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, (DAWN), and other relevant stakeholders from the region had at a meeting in Ibadan on Wednesday resolved to link all the states in the region with rail infrastructure.

This, according to them, will accelerate economic growth and other development in the region.

The Director General of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, Mr Seye Oyeleye said the proposed connection of the six states in the region would depopulate the urban centres as well ease the movement from one end to the other.


He said the ideas were conceived and birthed by DAWN, adding that the Commission is being saddled with the responsibility of muting developmental ideas subject to approval of the respective state government.

Oyeleye who lauded the introduction of the blue and red line rail system in Lagos State submitted that the proposed rail infrastructure which is designed to link all the states in the region would be laudable projects.

He said the six states will put together roadmap and timeline to ensure actualisation of the project, adding that there must be a proper transportation system across the region to enhance development.

According to him, rail has now been devoid to individual states, saying though there are still little challenges hindering working together of these states, but the gathering would find solution to it.


He said, “We have gathered here to deliberate on how to have rail for Western Nigeria, we have gathered rail expert home and abroad, whatever resolutions we made will be taking to the respective states, all the issues and obstacles will be ironed out here, no individual state can fund rail on it’s own, states should pull resources together and ensure this project come to limelight.”

“Private sector who will fund the project are there but they want to see commitments and political will from the governors, we have already drafted routes, the feasibility study which is the bankable documents might be the only thing the states will sponsor.”


He however said the objectives of the gathering were to extract state representatives’ commitment towards setting up the rail development, have operating and regulatory body for the region, and design structure and funding model for the above-mentioned body.

Others are: to design roadmap for construction of railway infrastructure, enunciate propositions on viable routes and highlight path to private sector for development institution finance.

The Commissioner for Transportation in Osun State, Hon. Sesan Oyedele said the project is achievable if governors from the states are committed to it and take responsibility, saying Osun state is ready if other states are ready for the project.

In his remark, the Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor on Transportation, Hon. Tobi Ogunleye said Governor Akeredolu is ready for the project as he championed creation of Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun).

Una don dey sabi say SE and SS get nothing in common. Good sense. Time for Ibos to learn to paddle their own canoe but Ibo starve too much for outside acclamation stemming from their collective low self esteem.

O daa be

Very good

..

Cool

Long overdue

This is good, I appreciate what the SW Governors are doing... South East Governors are all fools except Otti

Cool 😎