Transport institute seeks good system for goods, passengers
The Fellow of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Mr Solomon Aigbavboa, has urged the Federal Government’s to improve on integrated transport systems for effective movement of goods and passengers.
Aigbavboa made the plea during the 2019 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport CILT, leadership Impact Programme and Dinner with the Topic “Airport Operations and Standards of Safety in Nigeria, held in Lagos .
According to him, if there is interconnectivity integration of the four modes of transport being operating independently like we have in Nigeria is always a big issue.
Aigbavboa who is also the Managing Director, Flux Logistics Ltd. said that there was no train available to make someone link the airport from Abuja to Lagos as well as connecting Enugu airport except one go by roads.
“If I want to go to the ports, is only by land transport, there is no means taking either human cargo or goods from land through rails to the ports, so lack of interconnectivity on the means of transportation is a big challenge.
“The present administration led by President Mohammad Buhari, is working towards improving interconnectivity of means of transportation, in the next for, five months, Nigerians will see rail connection between Lagos and Ibadan, its been tested for some weeks now,” Aigbavboa said.
He said that there was need for government to linked the Kaduna/Abuja
rail to the other parts of the north as well as linking West to the East, adding that in Sept. Russia offered Nigerian to build lines from Lagos to Calabar.
Aigbavboa said that actualisation of effective interconnectivity would solve about 90 per cent of the challenges adding that government was making effort in partnering with private sector to improve of interconnectivity in the country.
In his paper presentations, the Managing Director of Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu said that airport operation made used of qualified and adequate numbers of skilled personnel with requisite tools.
Yadudu who spoke on a “Topic Airport Operations and Standards of Safety in Nigeria” said that FAAN operates on adequate provisions and use of safety as well as security tools by the operator in ensuring smooth, efficient and effective operations at the aerodrome.
He said that the authority also provide for internal audit of the safety management system, including inspection, of aerodrome facilities and equipment.
“To maintain specified standard, FAAN, continuously collect and analyses data to monitor and improve safety trends in our airports.
” In line with our commitment to ensuring operational safety across our airports, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was closed in 2017 to resurface the runway.
” Similar action had led to the closure of Akanu Ibiam international Airport Enugu, with a view to making the runway operationally safe,” he said.
Yadudu, who is also the Fellow of CILT, said that other measure of ensuring safety by FAAN through committee which deals with issues such as ;Bird and Wildlife Hazard Committee, Runway safety committee, Airport Security committee and Airport management committee.
He said that Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport bagged the most improved airport in safety 2018, Certification of two International Airports, Nigerian’s International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) award for improvement of aviation security in 2019 and accrediting of FAAN training School as a training Centre of excellence by ICAO.
In his keynotes address, the National President of CILT, Mr Ibrahim Jibril, said that the essence of the programme was to provide a platform that offers a systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge, skill and competence among Industry professionals.
Jibril said that CILT was targeted at the presentation and demonstration of latest developments, trends, innovations and best practices in the Logistics, Transport and Supply Chain sub-sectors through knowledge sharing, thereby keeping the professionals on top of their career.
Jibril who was represented by the Deputy National President of CILT, Alban Igwe, said that building capacity for efficient logistics and transport services in Nigeria was a cardinal objective in confronting the problems encountered in the efforts of developing the country.
“Presently, the transport sector accounts for over 70 per cent of the global GDP, with the new turn in today’s world economy, the role of logistics, transport and supply chain which form the bedrock of the service industry cannot be overemphasised and underrated.
“In recognition of this fact, the present administration gives priority to the revival of the transport sector in its entire ramifications by the rehabilitation of existing transport infrastructure, provision of new ones as well as ensuring capacity building, while finding ways to improve financial capabilities.
“We have investment opportunities in the Rail sector, Road transport, inland waterways, deep sea ports, inland container depots as well as prospects in the Aviation sub-sectors, ” Jibril said.