#KnowYourNDCs: NDC: Redefining The Transport System in Nigeria — by @JameoMac

Migration impacts on both rural and urban settlements are instigated by a cultural, environmental, social, human, political/economic components and it’s consequences are multilayered, which has been exigent on our poor transport system characterised by dilapidated and eroding roads known for countless mishaps. With these increased vehicular movements our transport system backed by unimplemented policies, manned by undisciplined road marshals and complimented by incompetent drivers; has further decayed leaving unmeasurable emissions of greenhouse gas in it’s wake and as such our transport system needs climate change re-orientation and experts to enforce policy implementation.

Given the rate of deterioration of our road infrastructure with specifics on our federal highways rather than intrastate roads, a NO will suffice. With the right road construction material use, civil expertise, policy implementation and progressive maintenance plan on both our urban and rural road infrastructure our commuter routes will accommodate any stream of vehicular traffic.

In retrospect to the Paris Agreement on NDC’s reducing greenhouse gas and increasing resilience, the transport sector was identified and still is a key player in mitigating climate change. Given that Nigeria’s transport sector is motorizing at full-tilt, then to achieve NDC goals it is pertinent that sectoral and private stakeholders start and continue the implementation of the Paris Accord as it pertains to NDC.

With careful consideration of it’s carrying capacity, daily distance covered, combustibility properties of its engine and economic impact it has on Lagos State; the BRT-Lite been the first of it’s kind in Sub-Saharan Africa has improved our transport system, displacing the “Molue” with is trademark black carbon footprints and ensuring commuters seating safety along it’s routes.

Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL) was launched inline with NDC set targets of 2030, agreed it is not an immediate solution to Nigeria’s carbon emission challenges but if implemented to the letter will add positive gloss towards achieving our NDC. Improve and upgrade existing infrastructure; Review current Transportation legislations for adequacy Invest in R&D Consider PPPs Procure and launch greener modes of public mass transit. Train and retrain staff of the MOT.

Recommendations

The Nigerian transport sector and system was one out of the seven (7) countries whose transportation system was used as a case study in preparation to COP21 to fully understand the role of this industry in NDC implementation. Some key challenges were identified:

1. Lack of transport data limits the sectoral ambition.
2. Buy-in from key transport actors is essential for ambitious sector targets.
3. NDC should be more closely linked with transport sector strategies.
4. Transport authorities need more climate change expertise. Based on these identified challenges the below recommendations were given which partly run in parallel:

• Preparation of the NDC groundwork.
• Development and negotiation of the NDC.
• NDC implementation and integration in sectoral policies.

The government should also genuinely carryout rural industrialization; the installation of basic, social and economic infrastructures in rural communities will drastically reduce “Rural-Urban” migration and inturn reduce the challenges unique to our transport sector. It is only morally astute that citizenry align to visions of the government in reducing greenhouse gases generated from the transport sector by plying more conventional commuter buses than private cars.

This is a tweet-chat series on #ClimateWednesday — #KnowYourNDCs