NIMASA, SHIPPERS COUNCIL, SKY WORLD COMMUNITY DOMINATE CIOTA 2ND SUMMIT
…….Stakeholders call for Professionalism In The Transport Sector
…… Sky World Community showcases products
Oru Leonard
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and The Nigerian Shippers Council yesterday were prominent in the 2nd National Transport Summit of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA) at Abuja holding between 1- 3 December, 2020.
The Summit with the theme, “Building Sustainable Transport Infrastructure in Nigeria: Opportunities, Innovations and Technologies”, is to keep sustainable Transport Infrastructure in Nigeria on the front burner.
CIOTA is a Professional and Examining Body for anyone interested in a career or professional development within the transport industry, whether working within the road, rail, sea, air or pipeline/ petroleum transport, and the 2nd National Transport Summit also doubles as the Annual General Meeting and Governing Council Inauguration.
The CIATO Summit had stakeholders from the Transport industry from within the country and abroad, with similar objective amongst them are Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Federal of Works and Housing, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Road Safety Commission. The private sectors that were also visible include Sky World Community which promotes projects through crowd funding.
Delivering his welcome remarks, the Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), who doubles as the CIOTA President, and Chairman of Council,Dr . Bashir Jamoh expressed that nothing can be done in life without transport and Commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Bill establishing the institute in June, 2019.
Jamoh, noted that the passage and assent to the bill, shows that the focus and thinking of the founding fathers of CIOTA is not being in vain, as the Institute can today rub shoulders with any other professional bodies
“Although CIOTA is new, we are looking forward to starting the journey of making transportation a professional sector where only those that have what it takes will run businesses within the industry.
“With the new Executives the journey has begun.The journey begins with transport development tripod—Professionalism, Training and Education, and Advocacy.
“The institute will work hard with the government to develop curriculum where individual members of the institute are the only ones recognized to occupy positions of transportation. Professionalism will become paramount and with professionalism, there will be proper infrastructure as well as maintenance. We will develop modules for none professionals to learn and get certified”, he noted
He said the institute will draw a curriculum to train and retrain the workforce that centre towards the transportation business, so that they can be abreast of what professionalism in the sector is supposed to be. “I hope that with the curriculum, the issue of lack of professionalism will be a thing of the past”, he added
He also said that CIOTA will make it a duty to monitor, make policies and deliver the deliverables for public good in terms of professionalism and that if there are no prerequisite expertise, knowledge and professionals to maintain the existing infrastructure, Nigeria will go back to square one.
Dr Jamoh expressed concern that the biggest challenge of the maritime industry lies heavily on maritime security and urged the Institute to work in terms of research and development to improve the situation of the maritime industry.
Speaking also, the Executive Secretary Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Barr Hassan Bello, for increased involvement of professionals and the need for Professionalism which he said, is part of the agenda of CIOTA,
Hassan who noted that the Transportation sector is not an all comers affair, and the Institute will set standard of practice to determine the knowledge to be attained by persons seeking to practice as professional Transportation administrators, assured that NSC will partner with the Institute as it is necessary to practice professionalism in line with the objectives of CIOTA
“CIOTA has the power to make transportation a key issue, and it is important to look at that transport sector that is able to generate N7 trillion per annum, as doing that will create massive employment.
“Integrated and seamless Transportation institution and improved infrastructure is necessary especially as Nigeria is going into the The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the efficiency of our infrastructure will make us have advantage as it will ease trade”, he stated.
He therefore advised that transport insfrastructure should be developed to make our export competitive.
A director with the Sky World Community (SMC), Pastor Udoh who spoke to the. News Dot Africa, said they are decided to facilitate the ongoing summit because the transport technology and solutions they have now will reduce the environmental hazards beings faced by the world population.
For more information on Sky World Community, please go to https://skyway.link-stats.site/forinvestors/?partner_id=377407
