CIoTA Kick starts Its Three-Day Summit Which Coincided With Its AGM, With Full Complement Of Industry Stakeholders

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.

Jamoh, CIoTA President And Others

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

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