Imperative Of Functional Rail Transport System In FCT

Imperative Of Functional Rail Transport System In FCT

By Joseph Agi

In the last twenty years, Abuja, the nation’s capital no doubt has continued to witness a steady growth in human population and expansion with the adjoining neighbouring towns and cities in all the connected states of Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and Kaduna.

Abuja lies on coordinates 8.50 North and 7.10 East with a land mass of seven thousand, seven hundred and fifty-three point nine square kilometres and a population density of 740 per square kilometres.

According to the experts, the Federal Capital Territory is now the fourth most populous city in the country after Lagos, Kano and Ibadan and comfortably enjoying the highest population growth rate of 7.1 percent making it retaining its position as the fastest growing city on the African continent.

The factors responsible for this constant population growth of the city lie primarily in the status of the city as the centre of unity for all Nigerians and centre of action as a political capital for the African most populous country and largest economy on the continent.

With this population dynamics also comes the major challenge in transportation system as all roads connecting the neighbouring states into the city centre each day and especially at the hours of work resumption and closure of work have become unusually crowded with vehicular movement so slow and precious hours of work wasted each day.

It is also worthy of note to point out that while the population of Abuja is projected to be around 4 million with Abuja Municipal Area population projected at 1.9 million, majority of workers and businessmen and women, artisans and other categories of people commuting daily into the city centre resides in neighbouring towns and cities like Suleja, Gurara and Tafa Local Government Areas in Niger State all to the city western side, and Karu, Keffi and Kokona Local Govt Areas in Nasarawa state to the eastern side.

For instance, it was projected in the year 2020 that Abuja and its adjoining urban area of Karu LGA alone to the eastern side had grown to over 6 million people.

Thus, the Federal Government through the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA must act fast on the need to evolve a functional rail transport system to provide an alternative to the land transportation that is likely to continue to experience perennial gridlock due to the constant population growth around the city.

As observed in most major smart cities around the world, rail transport system combined with the land transport services will help in boosting a robust transport system that guarantee the free movement of people and goods at all time from designated part of Abuja to the adjoining towns and cities in the neighbouring states.

The new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu anchored on Renewed Hope Agenda must prioritise on this by urgently revisiting the eight hundred and twenty-four Million US Dollars stalled Abuja Light Rail Mass Transit Project by investigating the loan secured for the project and review it in accordance with fresh submissions by experts.

The onus now rest squarely on President Tinubu to leave a signature legacy on the FCT by ensuring that Abuja Rail Transport system become a Major Infrastructure Project of his administration.

With the former governor of River State, Mr Nyesome Wike who is largely assessed to have done well in the area of infrastructure as a governor and now in charge of FCT as a minister, Abuja residents are optimistic that the Federal Government and the Federal Capital Territory Administration will declare a state of emergency on the Abuja metro rail system to provide residents of the FCT and its environs an alternative to road transport services thereby making Abuja city a true model on the African continent.

Edited By Grace Namiji