Mr. Mohammad Bello, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has applauded the Africa Union of Transport and Logistics Organisation (AUTLO) for gradually bringing professionalism and standard into the Transport system.
Bello made this assertion at the 1st Extraordinary Executive meeting of AUTLO held on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the initial conference organised by the union in Morocco had opened his eye on the need for policy makers to take the issue of safety seriously.
“The conference opened my eyes on the need for policy makers across the entire spectrum of government, local, international and sub-national level to be able to appreciate the need for safety on our roads.
“The transportation value chain is one sector of the economy that all countries takes very importantly. It serves as the spine through which all other economy activities revolve, that is why your group is very important to the development of our continent.
“I am also pleased to note that professionalism is gradually but steadily entering the industry, which is very good, because in professionalism you are able to determine standard.’’
He, however, said that the union should use transportation to foster development in the African continent.
Also, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi said that transportation was critical to the development of any country, adding that it served as an enabler for the growth of other sectors.
Amaechi was represented by the Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration in the Ministry, Dr. Anthonia Ekpa.
The minister said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) had transportation, Agriculture and Steel development as focal points.
He said that the government was pursuing an intermodal approach to transport development with so much already done to revive and restructure the rail sector.
Amaechi, therefore, called for concerted efforts and synergy from relevant stakeholders to bring about the desired success.
Earlier, Dr. Kassim Bataiya, the 1st Vice President of AUTLO, said that the meeting was significant for Nigeria to foster unity and competition.
He acknowledged the fact that Nigeria played a key role in the movement of goods and people within its borders and throughout the West Africa sub-region.
He said that since globalisation had brought about new challenges that affect trade and other social and cultural exchanges among the Nations of Africa and the World, there was need to explore new windows of regional economic integration.
Bataiya noted that AUTLO would serve as a veritable tool in bringing all transport organisations and stakeholders under one umbrella in finding solutions to African transport infrastructure problems.
Twelve Africa countries, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Cameron, Mauritania, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Niger are members of the organisation.
