By Giwa SHILE
Minister of Roads and Bridges, South Sudan, Mrs Rebecca Okwaci, has appealed to the World Bank, African Development Bank and other financial agencies to assist Africa to develop her transport infrastructure.
Okwaci made this appeal on Friday at the ongoing Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), Annual General Meeting (AGM), hosted by the Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja.
The minister appealed to World Bank, African Development Bank and other financing agencies to come to the rescue of Africa transport industry to review and revamp the sector.
Okwaci noted that African transport industry was in need of serious financing, in order to cope with the continent’s growing population and urban city mobility.
She said there’s need for member countries to integrate and deliberate on transport policy that will help urban mobility in Africa.
According to her, there is need to develop policy framework that will serve as a road map for the transport sector in Africa.
“This meeting is about policy making in the transport sector, for us in Africa we believe that the transport infrastructure is key in the lives of the citizens and the economic growth of the continent.
“We are looking at issues bringing Africa together; it is importance for member countries to be integrated through rail, road, or any of the transport infrastructures.
“We need a road map and when we are talking about policy, we mean guidelines that are officially studied and accepted which everyone has to follow.
“If we don’t have guidelines from the government, everyone will do what she wants, which is not good for road safety.
“The issue of urban mobility is a challenge because the cities are now growing and when these cities become congested, it affects the lives and mobility of the people.
“There is migration from rural into the cities, we also have the challenge of infrastructure that was there but now we cannot cope with the growing population.
“We have funding challenges, as a minister, most times; I really have to go out of my way to ensure that the roads are built for the safety of the people.
“The issue of road safety and urban mobility and other transport issues need to be addressed.
Mr Zemedkun Tessema, Senior Transport Specialist, World Bank Group, said that there is need to have a financing mechanism platform and plan to organise African transport infrastructure.
According to him, this meeting is for member countries, coming together to discuss key issues on policy development for Africa in terms of road safety, in terms of urban transport mobility.
“This is a unique platform for Africa ministers and experts to come together and discuss various policies of urban infrastructure before going into big investments; we need to have an enabling environment for financing mechanism.”
However, Priyanka Chandola, Programme Manager, Centre for Science and Environment, India, said Nigeria needs policy that would look into the air pollution in the transport system.
She said that the centre was partnering with the ministry of transportation to help develop transport programmes that will solve Nigeria air pollution transportation problems.
