The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, (ICRC) on Friday, disclosed that it has engaged private sector operators to deploy electronic ticketing solution for the Nigerian Railway Corporation, (NRC) to reduce the purchase of tickets at train stations.
Speaking at the Rail Infrastructure Dialogue Summit in Abuja, Director General of the ICRC, Engr. Chidi Izuwah, noted that with the e-ticketing solution, passengers would be able to purchase their tickets online and would also put a stop to the rush and commotion occasionally recorded in the purchase of tickets at rail stations.
He affirmed that rail infrastructural development is of national priority and should be of major concern to the Federal Government, noting that one of the biggest challenge Nigeria faces as a country, was infrastructural development, which if paid attention to, can in many ways improve the quality of living for Nigerians.
Izuwah said, “As an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for the development and implementation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for the provision of infrastructure services, we have been able to help the NRC install the e-ticketing system to reduce the rate of buying tickets at the rail station.
Now we are having a private sector player to install systems so that you have a completely control system that enables you to sit in the comfort of your homes, buy your ticket and check in for your rail travel.
“Public Private Partnership in line with the ICRC act and the national policy of PPP is the way to go, to be able to drive infrastructure.”
The DG noted that the government cannot improve and develop infrastructure alone and would definitely need collaborations with various stakeholders and private sectors to see that infrastructure in Nigeria is no longer a major challenge.
Recall that there have been demands by passengers of the rail mode of transportation in Nigeria for the NRC to adopt e-ticketing, so as the curb the widespread ticket racketeering witnessed across major rail routes in the country.
Also Speaking Dr. Onuoha Nnachi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, TTL Group also said that infrastructure system in Nigeria entails both the economic and social infrastructure, noting, however, added that the rail system which falls under the economic infrastructure must be private sector driven.
He said, “At the end of this dialogue opinions were sorted out and what we look forward to is to generate a policy document or a communique which we will send to the SGF which is the engine room of governance of Nigeria.”
