CIoTA mulls alternative transport infrastructure financing

Gowon is billed to chair 2^nd National Summit

The Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA) Nigeria, has advocated alternative funding of infrastructure in the nation’s transport sector, under a private public partnership (PPP) arrangement; noting that there is urgent need to rebuild and expand the nation’s inadequate and dilapidated transport infrastructure.

CIoTA President, Dr. Bashir Jamoh at its pre- 2^nd National Summit press briefing in Lagos weekend, said former Nigerian Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd.) will chair the 2nd National Transport Summit to be organized by it next week.

Jamoh who is also the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), disclosed that the event is scheduled to hold in Abuja from December 1st to December 3rd, 2020. He described the upcoming summit as an opportunity to build on the gains of CIoTA’s maiden edition also held in Abuja last December 2019.

He assured that CIoTA by virtue of being the foremost chartered transport body designated by legislation to drive the development of transportation sector in Nigeria, will continue to partner with government, policy makers and the private concerns to continually contribute to efforts to sustainable transport infrastructure system, particularly in addressing the sector’s inter-modal connectivity, through participatory funding and robust development partnership.

The CIoTA leader said the summit will focus on four areas, namely railway, highways and bridges, deep sea and air ports, through a functional and efficient PPP framework. He expressed optimism that the summit would address sustainable transport infrastructure development in Nigeria in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), analyze the innovations and current challenges in the air and road transport modes in Nigeria, and discuss the automobile industry in Nigeria showing an example of success in indigenous vehicle technology development.

He also described the building of inland ports as a hybrid innovation design to open the hinterland ports system, even as he noted that the rebuilding of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure is already ongoing on many front.

He said, “There are enormous challenges in the efforts towards developing the transportation sector in the country. These include funding, public-private partnerships (PPP) arrangements institution building, and the COVID-19 issues which have increased the risks of transportation globally. The summit will address the many facets of these issues, using the expertise and rich industrial experience of the speakers, discussants, and active audience participation.”

Others expected at the summit are the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, his FCT, Aviation, Works and Housing counterparts, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Bello, Engr. Hadi Sirika and Mr. Babatunde Fashola, respectively, in addition to the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemi Saraki, who is billed to be the Special Guests of Honour at the event.

The list includes the Director-General of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr. George Moghalu; Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman; Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello; the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Engr. Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Nuruddeen Abdurrahman Raffindadi; Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, Comrade Emmanuel Duja Effedua; Director General, Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) Zaria, Dr. Salih Farah Bayero and the Corps Marshall, Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi.

The summit schedule shows that it will feature the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) for CIoTA as well as present technical sessions and panel discussions to cover a wide range of topics on the nation’s transport challenges and possible solutions.