The Niger State government has announced plans to build eight modern trailer parks across the state to take advantage of its strategic location near Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, and as a gateway to southern Nigeria.
This move aims to boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.
The State Commissioner for Transport, Hajiya Hadizah Idris Kuta, shared this information during an interactive session with newsmen at the inauguration of the newly elected officials of the State’s chapter of the Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners held on Monday in Minna, the Niger state capital.
Kuta explained, “As the gateway to the North and South, there is a need for the state government to take advantage of the situation and invest in the transport sector to boost its revenue base for economic development and prosperity.”
Some of the areas where the trailer parks will be constructed include Tafa, Lambatta, Mokwa, Tegina, and Bida, among others.
The Chairman of the Niger state chapter of NARTO, Alhaji Hassan Abubakar Shiroro, expressed happiness over the approval by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for the construction of eight motor parks. He said, “This will help in bringing development to the grassroots level, improve the transportation of goods and services, and enhance the economy of the state.”
Regarding the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, the union has entered into an agreement with the Niger State Government for the supply of vehicles on a hire-purchase basis. Shiroro stated, “I would want my members to be supplied with Gulf, Sharon, and other smaller vehicles to boost their economic status.”
However, he pointed out that the brand-new vehicles provided by the Niger state government following the directive of NARTO Patron, who is also the Niger state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, are too expensive for his members. “These high-cost vehicles should be replaced with smaller ones to enable our members to benefit from this gesture,” Shiroro said.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Dr. Mohammed Abdullahi Tetengi, praised NARTO Chairman Alhaji Hassan Abubakar Shiroro and his committee members for successfully conducting their assignment. He advised the elected officials to be fair and just to all members.
