- Jamoh
In its quest to improve cargo movement from the ports to their final destinations, the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA) said its forthcoming national transport summit would focus on a policy for seamless integration of the different modes of transportation.
President of CIoTA and Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said the summit would create an avenue to address the nature of Nigeria’s transportation system, which has not been beneficial to the trade supply chain.
He disclosed that the Chairman, Presidential Economic Council, Dr. Doyin Salami, would lead speakers at the summit slated for December 3 to 5 in Abuja on the theme, “Unlocking the Potentials of Transportation for Sustainable Development.”
Jamoh stated that “during the summit, CIoTA will be addressing a key issue of how best we can get the needed value in the supply chain, because trade is only complete when goods get to their final destination in efficient manner.
“We can see that the challenge has been the non-integrated approach of the various transportation modes, making it difficult for movement of goods from the ports to various locations.
“We shall be looking at solutions that would integrate the road, rail, air and water transport systems. We are looking to push for policy to uphold seamless integration of the transport modes to support trade, in terms of easy movement of cargo across locations.”
According to him, “one good solution to the perennial gridlock in the port city of Apapa, Lagos, is to turn to railway and barges for the movement of containers, rather than remain stuck with road transportation alone.
“The issue of when we have to be using rail trucks to move cargo from the ports will be paramount in terms of policy, advisory, human capacity and skill acquisition for our own members, who are in different agencies in the maritime industry.”
He further stressed the need to expand the ports, noting that presently, Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports have lost their container space to the concessionaires, who are in charge of the terminals.
Meanwhile, the summit is expected to feature paper presentations, technical sessions and panel discussions on a wide range of topics on the transport challenge, while speakers will include the NIMASA Director-General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman.
Also to make presentations are the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, the Chairman, Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, Chris Asoluka, Chairman, Genesis Worldwide Shipping, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, and Founder, Centre for Value in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, among others.
