The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Nigeria (CILT) has called on the incoming government of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) to as a matter of urgency establish the National Transport Policy which according to it was the document everybody in the transport sector in Nigeria was waiting for.
The National Director of CILT Nigeria, Mr. Paul Ndibe who made this assertion in Lagos during an interaction with Primetime Reporters stated that the time was now for Nigeria to have the policy which could be modified as challenges were encountered in the running of the policy than not having any policy to guide operation in the sector.
According to him,” let there be a policy, a roadmap that will guide operations in the transportation sector and then there can be modifications and changes in the policy. They can come up as we experiment but it is important that we have it”.
“So, the institute is calling on the incoming government to set an agenda that will see to the establishment of a National Policy as there is the need for that”.
He made an analogy to the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria where he said that with the advent of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), that profession was being professionalized owing to the series of training the council was running for the practitioners arguing that such development was what the National Transport Policy was bring about with its coming.
The National Director noted,” it is only one aspect, look at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the Commercial Regulator of the Ports, beautiful idea and it is paying off. So, why won’t we think of other sectors? Freight Forwarding is just an aspect, the ports, just an aspect, what is happening in the road mode? What is happening in the rail? What is happening in the air? “
“So, government should look into these aspects and then continue with this policy and then expand. Look at the National Inland Waterways Authority, what is holding us from establishing one that will help with these jetties they are having and floating a standard boats that will operate all through the day? It is also what government should look into”.