By Elizabeth Chukwuma
For much of November and now, the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration, CIoTA, under the close watch of Bashir Jamoh, who incidentally is the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration, had begun making preparations for its national Summit, which is expected to coincide with its Annual General Meeting, AGM.
As a prelude to the three-day event, which was said to have kick-started on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Bashir Jamoh, the President of the Institute, had arranged an initial Press Conference on Thursday , November 26, 2020, at the NIMASA , Corporate Headquarters, Apapa, which was postponed at the last minute to Friday, November 27, 2020.
The CIoTA, press briefing may have been rescheduled at the instance of Jamoh, the national President , who was very much involved in the Presidential Committee on Deep Blue Project visit to Lagos , south west Nigeria, Benin and Onne, in south-south Nigeria, to inspect the maritime assets for the Deep Blue Project at the various locations.
The Presidential Committeee may have succeeded in inspecting the 80% of the maritime assets which includes Helicopter interceptors, Interceptor boats,Unmanned Aerial vehicles, , Special Mission Aircrafts, SMA, and Armoured vehicles satered at the designated locations. This is in addition to Special Mission vessels, SMV.
Jamoh , who was said to returned back to Lagos, On Wednesday, November 25, 202020, after participating in the excruciating tour of Inspecting of the Deep Blue asset,s Chaired by Bashir Salihi Magashi, a retired Brigadier General and minister of Defence, that he broke down and needed some rest to face the Lagos based Maritime Journalists who had been Invited for the briefing the next day.

Eventually, when the CIoTA, President and now Director General, NIMASA, had the opportunity of meeting with the Maritime Media last Friday to give out information on the arrangement for the planned CIoTA, Summit and AGM, he may have alluded to the fact that the Institute would leave up to expectations.
He had said that the Summit, which would be Chaired by Yakubu Gowon, a retired Army General and former Head of State, would have ‘’the full Complement of industry stakeholders, who would be brainstorming ‘’ to chart the way forward for the nation’s transport sector’’. True to his words, the industry stakeholders invited for the Summit did not disappoint dis apoint him as they had showed up . About six ministers were said to have been invited for the summit.
Rotimi Amaech, a former governor of Rivers state governor and minister of Transportation was said to be the guest of honour. The minister invited included Hadi Sirika, minister of Aviation , Babatunde Fashola, a former governor of Lagos state and now minister of Works and Housing, Mohammed Musa Bello, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Gbami Saraki, a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, and minister of State, ministry of Transportation. President Muhammadu , appears to have thrown his weight behind as he is waiting to receive the rport of the CIOTA summit proceedings that could help the government in fashioning out the country’s transport policy.
Recall that, Jamoh, the CIoTA, President, had described the Summit as an opportunity ‘’to build on the gains of the maiden edition held in December last year, which may have facilitated the establishment of the Federal University of Transport at Daura, home town of the of the Nigerian President.
Jamoh , who could not hide his feelings had said that that the Institute which is a foremost and inclusive Chartered body designated by Legislation to drive the Transportation sector in Nigeria, would continue ‘’to contribute to the development of sustainable transport sector infrastructure in the country’’.
He stated further that the Institute would address ‘’the inter-connectivity challenges and funding issues across the sector’’. This may have informed why the areas of focus at the meeting included rail network, highways and bridges, deep seaports, and airports Concession agreements.
Describing the building of the Inland Container Terminals, ICT, as a hybrid of Innovation and technology for extending the hinterland ports, he stated that ‘’the building of the country’s transport infrastructure is on-going in many fronts’’.
The CIoTA, President , who could not hide his feelings lamented that ‘’ there are enormous challenges in the effort to develop the transportation sector in a Nigeria, described as a harsh economy by experts. He had cited the problems of funding, public – private partnership, PPP, arrangements, institution building and the Wuhan Town in Hebei Province of the Asian country of China emerged coronavirus, popular, COVID 19. According to Jamoh, the CIoTA, President,’’ these problems had increased the risks of transportation globally’’.
Participants at the three-day CIoTA summit were said to have started discussion on the issues that had been raised by the NIMASA Director General and President, CIoTA, using their expertise and rich industrial experience . This may have informed why the NIMASA, boss is optimistic that theSummit would address the issue of Sustainable Transpotation in Nigeria in relations to the United Nations , UN, Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, annalyse the innovations, and the current challenges in the air and road transport modes. Also to be discussed at the Summit, according to the Organisers, was the nation’s automobile industry , described by Financial analysts as a perfect example of successful indigenous vehicle development.
George Morghalu, Director General, Nigerian Inland Water ways, Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Hassan Bello, a Lawyer and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Fidet Okhiria, an Engineer, and Managing Director, Nigerian Railways Corporation, NRC, and Nurudeen Abdurrahman Raffindadi, Managing Director, Federal Road Maintenance Agency among others were said to been at the CIoTA summit.
Philip Kaynet, a Deputy Director and the agency , Head of Corporate Communications said the Summit would feature the 2020 AGM , of the Institute as well as technical sessions and panel discussions over the a wide range of issues that were contained in the CIoTA President’s speech and other issues that may be raised by the key speakers.A