FG Tasks Shippers’ Council On Construction Of Truck Transit Parks

The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, has called on the Nigerian Shippers Council to intensify efforts on the construction of Truck Transit Parks (TTP) to enhance road haulage activities.
Umar made the call at the inauguration of the council’s governing council last week in Abuja.
The Federal Government approved had the construction of seven model parks for trucks under Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, has called on the Nigerian Shippers Council to intensify efforts on the construction of Truck Transit Parks (TTP) to enhance road haulage activities.
Umar made the call at the inauguration of the council’s governing council last week in Abuja.
The Federal Government approved had the construction of seven model parks for trucks under Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The parks are expected to comprise petrol stations, hotels, mechanic garages, shopping malls, restaurants, police posts, fire stations and hospitals.
Umar said the first TTP was being constructed in Lokoja, adding that the state government had already processed the land.
On the appointment of members of the governing council, Umar said it was timely in view of the ongoing transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Undoubtedly, the maritime sector remains a key component of the economy, the enormous potential of which need to be further harnessed to meet the expectation of the government.
“It is in realisation of this that the President hosted the maritime sector retreat in July 2012 which provided a unique opportunity for stakeholders to identify and highlight challenges in the industry,’’ he said.
He recalled that stakeholders at the retreat offered suggestions on how to move the industry forward based on four modules – safety and security, local content and cabotage, ports and customs and revenue enhancement.
The minister said the new governing council had a great task to perform regarding the current legal and institutional reform in the transport sector.
He charged the board to devise ways of enhancing the participation of the private sector under Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Umar said the government had approved the establishment of six Inland Container Deports (ICDs) under the PPP arrangement at Ngwa in Abia, Ibadan, Kano, Heipang in Plateau, Funtua in Kastina and Maiduguri.
Responding on behalf of members of the board, the chairman of the board; Gen. Salihu Ibrahim (retd), assured the minister that they would work assiduously to achieve the mandate of the government.
Ibrahim thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity given to them to contribute their quota to improve the sector, particularly the maritime.