The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Olorunola Olufemi, has emphasised the need for sustainable, safe, and efficient transport modes in response to rapid urbanisation and population growth.

Olufemi highlighted walking and cycling as key components of a healthier and more sustainable urban transport system.

The permanent secretary stated this at a two-day capacity building programme ‘Safer Roads for Pedestrians and Cyclists in Nigeria’ in Abuja, on Thursday.

Olufemi, who was represented by the Deputy Director, of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration of the Ministry, Akhidenor Cynthia, pointed out that Nigerian cities were predominantly characterised by informal transport systems, which have significant negative impacts on residents’ health, socio-economic status, and the environment.

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The permanent secretary, who spoke on the theme ‘Walking and Cycling as tools for unlocking sustainable mobility and development in Nigerian cities‘ stressed the the need to create safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists to improve overall well-being and urban harmony.

He said, “The rapid population growth urbanisation with limited provision of quality transport system to meet the growing need makes it imperative to adopt more sustainable safe and efficient modes of transport which walking and cycling symbolise.

“Our city’s transport landscape is largely dominated by transport informalities with attendant externalities that impact the health, socio-economic and environmental wellbeing of residents.

“Today, we come together with a shared purpose to create a future where our roads are safer for pedestrians and cyclists, ensuring their wellbeing and promoting a sense of harmony in our country.”

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He added that the ministry as the lead government agency, has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable transport and implementing various industry reforms.

He introduced the project as part of the efforts by the FG which is aimed to integrate walking and cycling into urban mobility plans.

The organiser of the programme, Chief Executive Officer, of Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John, highlighted the long-standing neglect of cycling as a means of transport due to inadequate attention and development.

John emphasised that the lack of proper infrastructure, limited policy initiatives, and insufficient public awareness have left many people feeling unsafe about cycling on roads.

To address these issues, he said the NGO was introducing a draft for a national cycling policy.

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He said, “Generally, cycling has not received the desired attention over the years. For that reason, people seldom use it as a means of transport.

“However, due to the lack of infrastructure, limited policy development, lack of knowledge and public awareness, many people are afraid of cycling on the road because they feel it is unsafe.

“The lack of safety is a function of infrastructure, poor policy implementation, and a poor regulatory enforcement system that will ensure your safety.

“In the course of this programme, we are presenting a draft of the national cycling policy to stakeholders. On June 3, we will present a second draft during a larger stakeholders meeting.”

The project is being carried out as a collaboration between seven Nigerian organisations in collaboration with the United Nations Habitat and the UN Road Safety Trust Fund.

The Nigerian Stakeholders include the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Health, Federal Road Safety Corps, Africa Urban Cycling Organisation, Transportation Growth Initiative, Greenlight Initiative, Driving School Association of Nigeria, and Ochenuell Mobility.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has sealed a warehouse dealing in fast-selling consumer goods over an alleged violation of the safety of consumers along Ado-Ikere Road in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

FCCPC Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Boladale Adeyinka, said the agency acted based on intelligence that obnoxious activities were ongoing on the business premises.

Adeyinka, who spoke to journalists in Ado Ekiti during the operation on Thursday, said, “The enforcement team was deployed to Ado Ekiti for investigation upon reasonable suspicion of some harmful practices inimical to consumer safety and welfare.

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“These range from alterations of expiry dates, deceptive and misleading batch numbers, fake SON barcoding, suspected repackaging of unwholesome consumer goods, particularly vegetable oils, misleading and deceptive labelling of fast moving consumer goods such as cereals.

“During the inspection and search operations of the business premises, the Commission has been able to identify possible violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act.” 

“Our inspection and search today has confirmed the allegations and appropriate enforcement actions will follow. Immediately, we sealed the affected warehouse, and issued and served summons on the owners of the business and one of their major suppliers for further investigation.

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“We seal premises to prevent products that we consider harmful from gaining access to consumers. The idea is to ensure that consumer safety is guaranteed,” she said.

On discoveries at the premises, the FCCPC director said, “We discovered that the batch numbers on the waybills and the products in the warehouse are not the same. None of the batch numbers of the identified products on the waybills match the actual products that are in the warehouse.

“So, we have reasonable suspicion that those products are not the products from the factory because the waybill is contrary to the actual product. 

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“Again the Standard Organisations of Nigeria scan code that we used to verify the authenticity or otherwise of the products declared them invalid, meaning that the product identification mark originally given to the products is not what is on the products here.

“Product identification is for traceability. There is no way we can trace these products to the manufacturer. Therefore the safety of consumers cannot be guaranteed. 

“It suggests and confirms that some obnoxious practices are going on within this premises and we need to further investigate,” she said.

Recall that FCCPC had last month sealed a Chinese warehouse in Abuja following allegations of discriminatory practices against Nigerians.

According to Adeyinka, FCCPC has the mandate to promote competition and protect consumers’ interests in all products and services in the Nigerian market.

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, sentenced a 40-year-old woman, Oyibo Nwankwo to one year imprisonment for trafficking underage girls.

Nwankwo was prosecuted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The agency in a statement issued on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, said the convict attempted to recruit the victims for prostitution at a brothel in Elele.

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“On May 14, 2024, Oyibo Nwankwo, a 40-year-old woman, was found guilty on two counts of an attempt to enable two underage girls to stay at a brothel in Elele Rivers State by the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, presided over by Hon. Justice S. Obile (file number: FHC/PH/141c/24),” the statement read.

“In relation to the two counts, the offender received a one-year prison sentence for each to run concurrently in accordance with section 17(1)(b) and subject to punishment under section 29 of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015. Justice is served!”