Abuja
Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon has urged stakeholders, policy makers and technical experts in the transport sector to create innovative strategies to advance the transport system in Nigeria.
Gowon, who is the Chairman,2020 summit of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA), made the advice in a zoom presentation in Abuja on Tuesday in the ongoing meeting of stockholders in transportation.
The theme of the meeting is “Building Sustainable Transport Infrastructure in Nigeria :Opportunities, Innovation and Technologies.
He said:”We must embark upon an intensive campaign to make more public and private sectors accountable and performance- oriented, with a view to providing the citizenry with proficient transport system.
“We should also inculcate code of ethical conduct, transparency and accountability into the whole transportation system for national development.
“The task of advancing the transport system cannot be left to government alone. It requires partnership between the public, private sector participation, civil society and the general public.
“Confidence and support are paramount in this campaign of building a virile transport system in our country.
“It is worthy to note that the summit is designed to provide a platform for critical examination and participation on the way forward of the concept of the economy that affects all other sectors for national development, he said”.
Gowon reiterated the need for more stakeholders to be involved in finding ways to improve the transportation sector to pave way for a realistic, honest assessment and repositioning of the transport sector and system in the country.
Gowon described as unfortunately, a situation whereby the nation had come under the burden of economic challenge of COVID-19 pandemic and the dwindling oil fortunes.
Contributing, the President of CIOTA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said that the summit was organised to brainstorm on how to improve infrastructure in transport sector for seamless carriage of goods and services, be it sea, road or by rail.
Jamoh said that there were specific curricula members of the CIOTA would cover and understand before moving from a stage to another after getting degree in the transport management.
He reiterated the need for members to engage in continuous development education with a view to obtaining relevant diploma or degree, warded by the institute, to enable them practice in line with global best practices in the transportation sectors.
The Executive Secretory, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello identified lack of coordination and modernisation as some of the factors posing challenges to the transport sector in the country.
Bello called for integration of transport sector, adding that “What happens at the sea ports must have relevant on the inter-lands.”
He added that multi-modernism was not a challenge in Nigeria but inter-modernism, adding that all the means of transportation must come together to interconnectivity in the the transport sector of the country.
“Off course we have port in Calabar and once the goods are out in Calabar port, you need high sense of inter-connectivity and modern transport to enable the goods move to other parts of the county.
“In the modern Convention, modern commerce dictates what infrastructure you are going to get such as door to door delivery of cargo electronically,” Bello said.
He said transport must be infuse with technology that would drive the sector, adding that there was need for professional coordinators in transport sector for effective management.
