Minister of Transportation, Said Ahmed Alkali, has welcomed the Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Toks Omishakin, are exploring opportunities in collaboration in transport development.
Omishakin’s visit aimed to foster collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in the transportation sector. Nigeria and the United States have had a long-standing cordial relationship since 1960, with the U.S. supporting Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote economic growth. The transportation sector plays a critical role in Nigeria’s development, contributing to the country’s GDP and facilitating the movement of goods and people.
Federal Government has undertaken efforts to combat climate change, including the adoption of hybrid and CNG buses as well as the promotion of non-motorised transportation. The Government has also invested in railway projects, completing several lines, including the Abuja-Kaduna Rail line and the Lagos-Ibadan double-track standard gauge railway.
Alkali said the Ministry of Transportation is open to knowledge sharing, capacity building and collaborative investments, particularly with California, which has a multimodal transportation system.
Opportunities for bilateral cooperation, investment in CNG mass transit business and provision of inter-state and intra-state train services are being explored, he said.
The California State Transport Agency team was led to the Federal Transportation Ministry by the Chairperson of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, who insisted that whatever good the Nigerians in diasporas have to offer must be channelled to the country. She said Odusakin is one of the bright stars of Nigeria operating at the best heights.
The California State Transport Agency Team, which came from Kenya, was composed of the Senior Adviser on Transportation to California Transport Agency, Giles Giovinazzi and Prof. Aditya Ramji, the director of Global South Clean Transportation Centre, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California.
Heads of agencies of the Ministry were also present to meet with the California team. These included the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Transportation, Daura (FUTD), Prof. Umar Adam Katsayal; Acting Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Ben Iloanusi; Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Dr Bayero Farrah, Dr Nkiruka Madueke of the National Council on Climate Change.
Omishakin revealed that the objective of the visit of the California-Africa Partnership, a project of California State was to identify partners across the continent and focus on Nigeria’s aspiration. He acknowledged that the vast opportunities in sustainable public transportation, policy and technical exchange opportunities in Nigeria could be leveraged. Omishakin requested further meetings with the minister’s team to plan out the California Climate and Trade Delegation Summit.