By Tomiwa Aderibigbe
The Federal Ministry of Transportation has called on Nigerians to consider bicycles as an alternative means of transportation.
The Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Musa Ibrahim, said this at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting held in Abuja.
Ibrahim said the goal is to increase the importance of cycling in Nigeria, to cause a decrease in traffic and accidents.
He stated that the stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting aligns with World Bicycle Day, which is marked annually on June 3 through a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution.
According to him, World Bicycle Day recognises the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally sustainable means of transport, fostering environmental stewardship and health.
He also noted that the use of bicycles could serve as a means of eradicating poverty, advancing sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, and facilitating social inclusion.
In his address, the Chief Executive Officer of Non-Motorised Transportation (NMT), Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John, stated that the cycling initiative goes beyond efforts to address climate change by reducing carbon footprints.
He stated that countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) waste 3% of their GDP each year due to traffic congestion.
He proposed that developing an NMT travel culture in the country through the implementation of Green Corridors is a panacea for some of the identified drawbacks.
John added that most of the challenges encountered with increased usage of motorised transportation will be reduced to a large extent if the Federal Government supports and adopts the National Stakeholders Forum on Bicycle Transportation.
