North-East govs plan air shuttle

File: Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum

Governors of the six North-East states have resolved to establish a regional air shuttle to improve the movement of people and goods across the subregion.

The governors also agreed to partner with Green Ville Energy to expand Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas stations across the region as part of measures to reduce transportation costs and boost economic activities.

The decisions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 13th meeting of the North-East Governors’ Forum held in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday.

The forum, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, said the proposed air shuttle would make inter- and intra-regional transportation faster and easier.

The communiqué, signed by the forum’s Chairman and Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, stated, “Forum also resolved to float the North-East regional Air shuttle which would make inter and intraregional movement of people and goods faster and easier.”

On road transportation, the governors said they would work with Green Ville Energy to establish more CNG and LNG stations across the subregion.

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The communiqué stated, “To ease the cost of transportation, strengthen logistics and open the region to more economic activities, Forum agreed to partner with Green Ville Energy to build and provide more CNG and LNG stations within the region.”

The governors also welcomed Federal Government support through the North-East Development Commission for the provision of 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses and 300 electric taxis, which they said were expected to be launched in October.

On infrastructure, the forum commended President Bola Tinubu’s renewed attention to the Port Harcourt-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri rail corridor, the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri highway and frontier oil exploration at Kolmani.

The governors, however, urged the Federal Government to revive oil exploration activities earlier commenced but stalled in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.

They also renewed their call for the completion and take-off of the Mambila Hydropower Project, urging the Federal Government to leverage the recent resolution of the legal dispute surrounding the project.

The forum noted that the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant had commenced feeding electricity into the national grid and urged member states to take advantage of the new electricity law and the region’s abundant sunlight to expand solar and mini-grid solutions.