The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of modern bus terminals in Nigeria’s six geo-political zones at a total cost of ₦142,028,576,008.17.
Minister of Transportation Senator Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali announced this while briefing State House correspondents after Wednesday’s FEC meeting, which President Bola Tinubu presided over.
He said the contract was awarded to Messrs Planet Project Limited.
According to the minister, the terminals will be located in Abeokuta (South-West), Gombe (North-East), Kano (North-West), Lokoja (North-Central), Onitsha (South-East), and Ewu in Edo State (South-South).
Senator Alkali described the project as the first direct Federal Government intervention in road transport infrastructure beyond road construction, adding that the choice of locations was based on economic viability.
He explained that the absence of purpose-built bus terminals to cater for millions of Nigerian commuters has contributed to rising cases of crime, road traffic accidents, and the proliferation of arms and ammunition on the nation’s highways.
“This is the first time the government is intervening in road infrastructure apart from road construction,” Alkali said.
“Despite the significance of road transportation in Nigeria, no bus terminals address the interests of millions of commuters. This has increased crime, road traffic accidents, and the spread of arms on our highways.”
The minister said the Ministry of Transportation conceived the initiative to improve road transport safety, enhance passenger comfort, and boost economic activities.
He noted that the proposal was presented to President Tinubu and the FEC for approval after carefully considering the potential impact on national transportation and security.
