CIOTA set to trigger development in transport industry - as it holds 3-day summit to galvanise stakeholders

Funso Olojo |

The Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) has concluded arrangement to hold a mega summit in Abuja early next month to ignite a chain of activities that will stimulate the growth and development in the Nigerian transport sector.

Emboldened by its new chartered status, the Institute said it intends to rally, monitor and coordinate the various agencies of government in the transport industry for the transformation needed to engender efficient service delivery in the sector.

The President of the Institute, Dr Bashir Jamoh, in a press conference in Lagos Friday, unfolded the plans for the mega transport summit which holds in Abuja next month.

According to him, the summit is meant to bring together the egg heads in the transportation industry to identify the challenges that hobble the desired growth and efficiency in the sector and proffer solutions to them.

“In February this year, I noted that the creation of the Institute will further help proffer solutions to the challenges facing the transportation sector in Nigeria, and also augment Government’s efforts in that direction.

“We promised that we will work with relevant bodies and associations to ensure the realisation of an efficient transport sector.

“We also stated then that the institute will come up with programmes and create a platform where all transport-related bodies would come together to brainstorm and share ideas with the relevant authorities for the development of the sector.

“It is in fulfilment of this promise that CIoTA Nigeria is organising the 2019 National Transport Summit/Annual General Meeting with the theme, “Unlocking the Potentials of Transportation for Sustainable Development”.

“The summit holds at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, from December 3 – 5, 2019.

“The aim of this summit is to push for policies that will enable seamless integration of the different modes of transportation in the country. It will have an array of renowned experts, led by Chairman, Presidential Economic Council, Dr. Doyin Salami, who will be making presentations on various aspects of the Nigerian transportation system and seek ways for improving it, for the good of the Nigerian economy.

“As we know, our ports, especially in Lagos, are congested and there is a need for expansion so that it can contain more goods. This can only be done by collaboration with the relevant stakeholders in the transport and logistics sector of Nigeria.

“The need to integrate road, rail, water and air transport has become very important as none can stand on its own without the other. When goods are brought by air, rail or water the end product is majorly the road, hence we will also be collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to assist in the road expansion and rehabilitation so that goods can be easily moved from one point to another.

“Trade is only complete when the goods reach the final destination efficiently. At the summit, we will be discussing and addressing how best we can get the needed value in the transport sector supply chain.

“Another issue that will be brought to the front burner is the Apapa gridlock that has caused the entire Apapa community untold hardship, basically because the concentration on Lagos ports is quite voluminous. On our part as a body, we will be pushing for the use of other ports in the south-south region of the country, so that Lagos ports are decongested.

“On the long run, emphasis will be laid on the need for the expansion of the ports, especially Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports, due to high volumes of trade so that they can accommodate more containers.

“CIoTA as an institute cannot achieve all this alone, except by collaboration with relevant government bodies, which includes the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, NIMASA, NPA, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), along with other well meaning organizations, related national associations and the security agencies”‘ the CIOTA President declared.

He noted that as an advocacy group, the Institute will come up with sound ideas, advices and programmes derived from robust researched studies that will lift the sector from its present level of inefficiency.

Dr Jamoh Jamoh further declared that the summit will not only be a talk shop but the one that will follow up its recommendations to ensure they are implemented by the relevant government agencies.

“The summit will come up with communique and set up an implementation committee that will monitor its implementation by the relevant government agencies.

“We resort to doing this because we have come to realise that we don’t lack capacity for ideas in this country but the major challenge is the implementation.

“So this committee will ensure all our ideas and recommendations are followed up to the implementation stage”Jamoh stated.

The summit will have in attendance many dignitaries in government and the transportation industry, led by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Serika; Minister of Woks and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; and Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki.

Other Speakers at the event include the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, renowned economist, Professor Pat Utomi, and Managing Director of NPA, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman.