SHOULD NIGERIA EMPHACISE
TRANSPORTATION IN PLACE OF
PUBLIC WORKS?
Discussion points presented at Nigeria Development
and Finance Forum 2013 in Washington DC
by Emmanuel H Onyekwere, PhD.
Former Resource Allocation Manager DDOT &
Coordinator, NIDO Maryland, Baltimore Chapter
Transformation Agenda
• Wiktionary describes transformation as: A
marked change in appearance or character,
especially one for the better
• For the transformation agenda of the Federal
Republic to make sense, it must make lives of
Nigerians better.
• For thinking about transforming Nigeria, we
must give credit to whom it is due.
Thinking and Doing: Two Opposite
Sides of a Coin
• Achieving transformation require more than
slogans.
• It requires planning and allocation of resources.
• It requires clear definition of requirements and
what is to be measured. A schedule developed
• It requires implementation and monitoring
• The results must be quantifiable and measurable
• The lessons learned, (good and bad) must be
documented and become part of Organization’s
Process Assets (OPAs)
IS NIGERIA READY AND
TRANSFORMING?
• The answer depends on where you look: For
example, building Rapid Transit Systems and BRT
bus lines in Lagos is transformation.
• Privatization of Power as advocated in my book is
another.
• On going Transformation of Akwa Ibom public
space by the government of that state are all
remarkable achievements.
• The question is, are there plans in place to
maintain and sustain these achievements.
Should Transportation be left out ?
• To achieve total transformation in Nigeria, all
structures bequeathed from colonization
should be changed for the better.
• The reason: ownership and rebranding, civic
pride. Nigerians need to take ownership of
their country.
• After Power Transformation, Transportation
should be next.
Expand the US Nigeria Binational
Commission Agreement
• Create additional working group to focus on
Transportation.
• To create the conditions that allow systems
developed for Nigeria to interface with
systems in USA. Adopt a Transportation Model
• Under this model a new agency called the
Ministry of Transportation (MOT) would
emerge.
• Every State in the Federation would also adopt
a similar nomenclature.
Use of the Binational Agreement with
the U.S.
• Current Federal Ministries of Aviation would
become a parastatal in charge of airspace
management. A National Port Administration
and Railroad, Motor Carrier Administrations
would be created.
• The Nigeria Railway Corporation would be
broken into six, become Regional Railway
Commissions in six geopolitical zones of
Nigeria.
Use of the Binational Agreement with
the U.S.
• Work with Federal Highway Administration under
the agreement to implement the Federal
Highway Aid Program.
• Under this program, the 36 States of Nigeria
would only pay 20 percent and the federal
government would pay 8o percent of all
Transportation Infrastructure costs approved
under the plan.
• Create the enabling Legislation to support the
program.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
• The United States Transportation Research
Board (TRB) is an arm of the National
Academies of Science.
• The National Academies of Science Advises
the White House and this Nation on Science,
Engineering and Medicine.
• The annual TRB Conference in Washington, DC
is held in January every year and takes place in
four to six hotels simultaneously.
Use of the Binational Agreement with
the U.S.
• There are well developed contacts at the TRB that
can be leveraged to stage a similar Transportation
Conference for the Nigeria and the ECOWAS
Region in Abuja or Lagos.
• It requires and MOU between Nigeria and TRB, a
Funding Agreement, a Participation agreement
from all Research Universities in Nigeria, The
Ministries of Science and Technology, Works,
Transport, Aviation, Federal Emergency Road
Management Agency and Private Sector
Participants and Exhibitors.
• And a schedule. Thank you.