- As UNICEF warns of food shortage, disease in Northeast Nigeria, others
The State Government has adopted advocacy, support and collaboration with stakeholders in an aim to stimulate the socio-economic development of the State, through ease public transportation.
The Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi indicated this on Thursday, while speaking as a Special Guest at the Second Edition of Lagos Traffic Radio Lecture Series with the theme, ‘Support System for Public Transportation: the Lagos State Perspective.’
Elegushi stated that while good transportation system is sine qua non to economic growth and development with special reference to the efficiency with which commuters move their goods and services from a location to another as obtainable in other parts of the world, public transportation in a complex city like Lagos, demands various strategies as has been adopted by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, so as to ensure a very smooth flow of traffic as envisioned through the establishment of various State transportation and traffic Management Agencies.
The Acting Commissioner opined that the present Administration at inception, embarked on an on-the-spot assessment of roads across the State to enable Government fashion out maintenance strategies and construct new ones; and noted that the construction of bus terminals and ferry jetties, laybys, and other infrastructural renewal projects explains the concern of the State Government towards ensuring free flow of traffic, road safety and socio-economic development of the State.
Towards further re-energising the transportation sector, Elegushi stated that an integrated Public Transportation System will soon kick start with a N30 Billion Sinking Fund for the Bus Reform Project, the highlight of which is the provision, over a 3-year period, of 5,000 buses with carriage capacity of between 30-70 people that will be operated through franchise in multiples of 50, 100 and 200 buses.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde who was represented by the Director, Information Production in the Ministry, Mr. Abiola Fagunwa said the Administration of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has in the last two years opened up the State to a better and more efficient road network with the extensive constructions in the State.
He highlighted that the Administration is also fully committed to the welfare of its citizenry through enacting industry-friendly laws and implementation of inclusive policies that will enable public-private sectors initiatives to thrive.
He posited that part of the Ambode-led Administration’s investment towards supporting young entrepreneurs is the release of N25 Billion to the State Employment Trust Fund to support viable entrepreneur’s ideas and start-ups.
In the meantime, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that malnutrition, thirst and disease threatened lives of millions of children in Northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
Mr Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF Director for Emergency Programmes, said in a statement issued in New York that continued humanitarian action was crucial in saving children’s lives.
Fontaine said the welcome announcement of an end to famine conditions in South Sudan this week should not distract attention from the fact that severe food insecurity continued to put the lives of millions of children at risk in the affected areas.
“There is no room for complacency. While famine has been reversed in South Sudan, the lives of millions of children are still hanging by a thread.
“The crisis is far from over and we must continue to scale up our response and insist on unconditional humanitarian access, otherwise the progress made could rapidly be undone,” Fontaine said.
The UNICEF official said in all the three countries and part of Nigeria, the situation continued to be of the highest concern and the number of children at imminent risk of death remained alarming.
“In north-east Nigeria, Boko Haram violence continues to contribute to large-scale population displacement, limit market activity and restrict normal livelihoods.
“Around 5.2 million people remain severely food insecure, with 450,000 children expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year.
“The start of the rainy season will further complicate the humanitarian response, with deteriorating road conditions and flooding making populations harder to reach, and raising the risk of water-borne diseases,” he said.
Beyond these, food, water and health crises are endangering hundreds of thousands of children across the Greater Horn of Africa, the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, he said.
In 2017, UNICEF is working with partners to provide therapeutic and life-saving food treatment to over 314,000 severely malnourished children in Nigeria, over 200,000 severely malnourished children in South Sudan, more than 200,000 severely malnourished children in Somalia, and 320,000 children in Yemen.
UNICEF is also restoring and equipping health facilities, developing medical and nutritional supply pipelines and providing clean and safe water to vulnerable children and families.
In Somalia, 1.8 million people had been reached with safe water, and in Nigeria over 2.6 million people will be reached with a basic supply of clean water this year, UNICEF said.
In Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen UNICEF requires 251 million dollars to provide children with food, water, health, education and protection services until the end of the year.
