Business
Institute Tasks Buhari On National Transport Policy
The Chartered Institute of
Logistics and Transport (CILT) has urged the President-elect, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that a robust national transport policy is put in place in the country.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Umar Usman, the National President of CILT, Nigeria made this plea during the institute’s Fellows and Corporate Members’ Forum in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday.
Usman said that a robust transport policy would promote growth in the industry and enhance economic development.
“We have a problem; in a situation where a country has no national transport policy, this is a challenge.
“We urge the incoming administration to ensure that first and foremost, Nigeria has a robust national transport policy.
“The moment the nation has a transport policy, all the problems associated with transport infrastructure will be addressed.
“Unfortunately, today in the country, roads are carrying far beyond their capacity and that is why we have dilapidated roads all over.
“The rail that is supposed to carry the weight off the roads is still epileptic because what we have is a narrow gauge.
“What this country needs today is a wide gauge that can be able to carry more and travel a longer distance.
“And of course issues that have to do with integration should be looked into. We do not have an integrated system. We need an integrated transport system,’’ he said.
Usman urged the new government to have right people in the right places to perform maximally.
Prof. Kayode Oyesiku, the Deputy National President of CILT, in an interview with newsmen, rated the nation below 25 per cent in logistics and transport system.
“If we are to rate our transport and logistics on a scale of 100, we are somewhere between 20 and 25 and the reason for this is very obvious.
“First is the state of our infrastructure, particularly the lack of inter-modality of movement of goods and services.
“Nigeria is still absolutely dominated by road, which should not be and across the world it has not always been.
“The second problem is the extent of professionalism.
“There is no council of registration of those who can practice transport in Nigeria, there is no bill that has actually been approved that can foster the growth and development of the profession,’’ Oyesiku said.
He said that the 7th National Assembly had not passed the bill that was sponsored by the institute.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Dunoma Saleh, the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that effective transport system had the capacity to move the economy of any country.
“ In Nigeria, and as could be seen in other countries, the place of logistics and transport in the economy of any country is always at the centre-point of the economic template of that country.
“This goes to suggest, therefore, that ethics and knowledge in the administration and running of logistics and transport operations in all its forms should be given prime attention.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.