Private sector to finance transportation varsity – FG

The Federal Government has stated that the proposed Transportation University in Nigeria would be financed by private sector investors.

Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, who said this in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that the government would develop the Maritime Academy, Oron in Akwa Ibom State, instead of building a Maritime University, while investors would fund the Transportation University.

“It is part of the negotiation between us and the Chinese that they must build a University of Transportation because they cannot dump technology on us. We have to build the University of Transportation to teach our people how to construct and manage railways, construct and manage coaches and locomotives but funded by the Chinese as part of the contract.

“Similarly, we agreed with General Electric (GE) that in the course of constructing the Lagos-Kano rail line, they must also construct a University of Transportation for us. They will train Nigerians on the different aspects of the railway transportation and then maritime and possibly aviation and all that, that is what we want to do.’’

He stated that the Federal government will partner Chinese to build one and also partner with GE to build another, stressing that it was more viable to build the Transportation University than Maritime University since the academy in Oron was very active and already being funded by the government.

“There is huge investment in the maritime sector; there is huge investment in the railway sector and the money from these sectors will not be small; they are things you can use to fund the economy.’’