Vice President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is deeply committed to prioritising transportation infrastructure to ease operations for Nigerian transporters.
Shettima spoke on Monday in Abuja during the inauguration of the National Working Committee of the National Structure of Transporters for Tinubu/Shettima 2027.
He said the Tinubu administration treats connectivity as an economic necessity and is actively working to reduce the cost of movement.
Represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hadeija, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Shettima said ‘President Tinubu does not take the struggles of transport workers for granted.’
The vice president observed that there was no group in the nation that connects communities as much as transporters.
He noted that beyond their operational duty, transport workers are unparalleled ambassadors of the nation.
He pointed out that ‘the transportation industry stands at the heart of economic boom.
‘The sector determines whether a farmer reaches a market, whether a manufacturer moves goods, whether a trader restocks.
‘It also determines whether a student reaches school, and whether an investor connects production to demand.
‘Every kilometre saved, every bottleneck removed, every port made more efficient, and every safer journey completed contributes to national productivity.
‘This is why we can’t afford to take you for granted. This understanding also explains why His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has remained committed to infrastructure that eases your operations.
‘Across highways, rail corridors, ports, clean mobility initiatives, and logistics infrastructure, the administration has treated connectivity as an economic necessity.’
The vice president described transport workers as credible witnesses to the administration’s struggles, while also acknowledging their role in conveying people and goods across the nation on daily basis.
Shettima recalled that on June 15, he welcomed the transportation workers to ‘the fold of patriots who’ve come together to promote the interests of the nation above misinformation, disinformation and economic sabotage.’
He said he did so based on his belief that Nigerian transporters could help the nation’s ‘diverse communities understand the Renewed Hope Agenda and participate responsibly in the country’s democratic process.