Director General, Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology, Dr Bayero Farah, on Tuesday said the institute has trained more than five thousand personnel in the past five years from public and private sectors.
While giving his speech at the retreat on repositioning of the NITT, held in Kaduna, Dr Farah said, the institute had trained personnel on various transport and logistics fields under its long and short term programmes
The Acting DG also said NITT has trained thousands of managers, now manning strategic transport organizations in the country.
“The institute was established to focus on professionalization of the transport industry by providing continuous development of skills and competencies in the industry.
“Various applied research projects were carried out for both government and private sectors, prominent among which are Portharcourt Transport Studies and School Bus 1999.
“Others include Master Plan for an Integrated Transportation Infrastructure, BRT Baseline Studies in Lagos, Kano and Kaduna, National Transport Survey and Projection NTSP 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2018,” he said.
Farah further stated that the institute have outreach learning centers in Lagos, Portharcourt, Abuja and recently Gombe, Kano and Ebonyi to cater for those interested in studying at NITT.
He however pleaded with the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to help the institute with adequate manpower to maintain the heavy capital-assests in order to ensure effective and efficient services.
Also speaking, Amaechi commended the NITT and said the transportation ministry have been able to provide local manpower through various interventions.
The minister stated that direct employment generated on Lagos-Ibadan rail project is about 10,000 and about 100,000 employment is expected to be generated along Ibadan-Kano line.
Amaechi advised the NITT to keep on doing the good work at training of personnel, in order to encourage hardwork and commitment to service in the transportation sector.
The chairman of NITT Governing Council, Mr Olorogun Onojeharho, said the role of transport and logistics sectors in any economy especially developing economy like Nigeria cannot be over empahzied.
He said transportation is the major artery that energies the economy.
Onojeharjo advised practioners and managers of the transport system to anticipate and plan for the system in order to support changes and growth in the economy.
He admonished the transport system managers at the retreat to examine each of the transport and logistics faculties, equipment and procurement policies.(NAN)
PMY/MZA
