Gilbert Ekugbe
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has announced plans to equip operators in the logistics and transport space for full participation in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Indeed, the institute stated that Nigerian should not only be viewed as the largest market to be exploited by its trade partners bust must also evolve to be the logistics hub on the continent.
The National president CILT, Nigeria, Mfon Ekong Usoro, explained that plans are also ongoing to work with all partners in the industry to drive up the logistics efficiency index for the country.
Usoro at the 2021 CILT fellows and corporate members’ forum in Lagos themed “Optimising opportunities in AfCFTA through logistics and transportation services” said: “Consequently, starting from 2020, CILT Nigeria will publish a Logistics and Transport Advisory and Forecast on a quarterly basis. Not being a government organization, the CILT Quarterly Advisory will offer independent, objective and constructive assessment of the state of play of the Logistics and Transport industry together with practical and implementable solutions.
We will not stop there, CILT with its array of experts including professors and entrepreneurs in every field of logistics and transport will work with government and other stakeholders to put into effect our recommendations.”
According to her, the institute is the leading International Professional body for all sectors of the transport and logistics industry established to promote knowledge of the science and art of logistics and transport to provide a source of authoritative views for communication to government and industry with over 33,000 members working in over 100 countries.
She noted that the immediate goal of the current council of CILT Nigeria is to transform logistics and transport in Nigeria to align with global and continental trends with a focus on technology, growing domestic capacity and strengthening the regulatory deficit that is a sine qua non for the growth and competitiveness of the industry.
“To this end, we are intensifying efforts to deepen and broaden relationship with Government and key private sector operators for all the modes including educational institutions who partner with us for trainings. We have concluded negotiation of a Memorandum of Agreement with yet another top notch university which will be signed very shortly,” she added.
“We are fully equipped and well skilled to be of value to your Ministry and the country. We extend similar offers to the Federal Government Ministries and Agencies responsible for aviation, road and pipeline modes of transport. Though others seem to try to work their way into relevance, we are pleased that the fact shows that it is a Fellow of the CILT that chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the finalisation of the National Transport Policy for Nigeria. CILT joins the throngs of Nigerians to urge the Government to issue that Transport Policy document this December,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mrs. Ajani, Magdalene Nwanwuche, stated that operators in the logistic and transport sector must work together to ensure that Nigeria boast of an effective and efficient inter modal transport system using land, rail water and air.
