Former National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), has been confirmed to be among eminent speakers at the 6th National Transport Conference 2024, organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA), slated for 12-13 November at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
Banire, a former Commissioner for Transportation and Environment in Lagos State, is expected to be the Keynote speaker at the conference.
Announcing the details at a press conference which held on Tuesday, CIOTA’s National President and Chairman of Council, Prince Olusegun Obayendo said the conference, which coincides with CIOTA’s Annual General Meeting is aimed at bringing together all members of the Institute, academics, industry experts, and other stakeholders to discuss the theme; Sustainable Transportation In A Disruptive Era: The Challenges of Developing Economies.
His statement reads in part; “We are excited to announce the 2024 Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA). CIOTA is the leading and premier Chartered professional transport body in Nigeria providing training, membership, and certification of transport professionals.”
The CIoTA President lamented that Nigeria’s transportation narratives will continue to be unseemly until the government decides to put in place the needed regulatory framework to support professionalization of the sector, adding that without it, Nigeria’s Transportation sector will continue to fall into disrepute and remain an all comer’s sector.
He said: “To measure the spiritual, mental and physical state of a people and country, you only need to look at how organised their transportation system is, begging the question of how organised is our transportation system in Nigeria. This conference will be emphasizing on walking the talk, a departure from just talking about the problems, to proffering solutions that will move the sector forward.”
Obayendo also spoke about the development and deployment of an Information Transport System, (ITS) which will harmonize transportation data across the country for seamless development of the sector, citing how Lagos State under its THEME+ agenda set transportation development as a key driver for other developments.
Former Dean School of Transportation at the Lagos State University, Professor Gbadebo Odewunmi, said: “It is disheartening to note that Nigeria with vast transport system has no transport policy in place.
“The Institute has the responsibility to sustain the advocacy to get the policy put in place by the relevant authorities so we can advance the sector considerably. Today, our major means of transportation is by the roads, accounting for over 90% of moving people and goods.
“It’s also worth highlighting that operators of road transportation are subjected to the worst forms of extortions by uniformed enforcement agents who mount illegal tolls and demand huge sums of levies from drivers in transit that ends up in private pockets,” he lamented.
Odewunmi stressed further that CIOTA should position itself to keep offering professional advice to the government on shaping the transportation sector in line with global acceptable standards, while calling on the media to provide all the needed supports.
According to Obayendo, among topics to be discussed at the conference are; the Current State of Transportation in Developing Economies: Infrastructure Challenges, Climate Change and Environmental Impacts, Marine Pollution and Control, Rural and Urban Transport Issues, Accessibility and Affordability, Safety and Security Challenges and Solutions.
Disruptive Technologies and Innovations: Electric Vehicles, Shared Mobility Solutions, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Drone deliveries, Data Sharing and Digitisation, Renewable Energy Integration and Green Logistics.
The conference will also consider human and cultural issues in transportation: Transport Workers and Employees Unions, Law Enforcement personnel, Community-Led Solutions and Grassroots Initiatives. Tourism and Transport.
While Governance, highlighting Policy and Regulatory Frameworks, Institutional Frameworks, Public-Private Partnerships, Capacity Building, Education, Funding and Financing Mechanisms will be critically featured.
