By Giwa SHILE
A former Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, has canvassed intermodal transportation system for the country, saying it will reduce the huge money and man-hour spent on road transportation by Nigerians.
Badejo, the Guest Speaker at the TransQuest Media Group 11th anniversary in Lagos on Saturday, said the intermodal system would ensure integrated transportation by air, rail, waterways and highways.
`The Quest Media Group is the publishers of TransQuest Magazine, NewsQuest Weekly and TransQuest Online.
Speaking on a topic, “Achieving Intermodal Transportation System in Nigeria: Myth or Reality?”, advised the Federal Government to provide adequate funds for transportation infrastructure.
Badejo, a senior lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye in Ogun, said `there was need to fortify existing institutional regulatory mechanism and intensify human capacity development for an transport system.
“There is also the need to introduce policies and regulations that will create favourable and robust conducive environment for private sector participation and investment in transportation,’’ the don said.
The Editor-In-Chief of TransQuest Media Group, Mr Felix Kumuyi, said the annual event had provided a platform for promoting transport and maritime issues in the country.
According to him, the company is also using the opportunity to bring salient issues affecting the industry to the fore and give awards to those who have distinguished themselves in the industry.
He observed that Nigerian ports which were supposed to take the centre stage in terms of intermodal transport system is faced with myriads of problems.
““Road transportation has over the years become the only mode of evacuation of imports from the Nigerian ports to their final destination as well as exports from their sources to the ports.
“”Apart from the fact that evacuation of cargo through road transportation has become outdated in modern port system, it also impedes fast and efficient cargo delivery system,’’ Kumuyi said.
He suggested that efforts should be made by the Federal Government to take advantage of the opportunities of Nigeria’s membership of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) to improve on intermodal transport system.
Mr Adeleye Ajayi, a Deputy Editor-In-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria NAN), who was conferred with the “Evergreen Award in Maritime Journalism Practice, urged the Federal Government to improve on ports infrastructure in order to transform Nigerian ports to preferred final destination of a large percentage of cargo meant for Africa.
Ajayi, a former President, Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), thanked the media group for the award in recognition of his contributions to the industry while he called the shots as MARAN boss.
The other recipients of the award include Comptroller Jayne Shoboiki of Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr Taiwo Afolabi, the CEO of Sifax Group,and Dr Abdullahi Kirawa, National Coordinator, Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force.
