Mathias Echioda, a former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger chapter, has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently revive Nigeria’s railway and inland waterways systems to reduce pressure on the nation’s roads.

He made the call in a statement on Saturday in Minna.

The cleric expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of roads across the country and its impact on transportation, economic activities and national security.

He urged the federal government to rehabilitate and modernise the nation’s railway network, particularly the narrow-gauge lines, to facilitate efficient freight transportation.

Mr Echioda also called for increased investment in inland waterways, urging the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to develop viable cargo routes to reduce pressure on roads and complement rail transportation.

According to him,  reviving the country’s railways and waterways will reduce the burden on roads and promote safer, more efficient movement of goods across the country.

He appealed to President Tinubu’s federal government and other transport-sector stakeholders to show the political will to confront vested interests and implement sustainable transportation policies.

“The question is not whether we can fix our roads and revive the railways; the question is whether we have the courage to do it.

“The Nigerian people are watching, and history will remember the choices made by our leaders,” he said.

Mr Echioda further urged government at all levels to declare a state of emergency on transport infrastructure, stressing that fixing the country’s roads should be treated as both an economic and national security priority.

He described the state of the roads as a national tragedy, saying Nigerians were facing hardship, prolonged travel times, and rising vehicle maintenance costs.

The cleric said the poor condition of highways was also worsening security challenges by restricting farmers’ access to markets and delaying security agencies’ response to emergencies.

According to him, criminal elements can exploit poorly maintained roads and difficult terrain to carry out ambushes, kidnappings and other criminal activities.

He said the heavy movement of trailers and trucks carrying goods on roads was contributing significantly to their rapid deterioration, particularly where vehicles were overloaded.

Mr Echioda noted that some truck operators were overloading their vehicles and called for stronger enforcement of axle-load limits, saying no individual or business should be allowed to operate above the law.

He called for functional weighbridges and severe penalties for operators who violated axle-load regulations, saying this would discourage the destruction of public infrastructure.

(NAN)