The Chairman and Chief Consultant of Global Transport Policy (GTP), Dr. Oluwasegun Musa, has stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to formulate a transport policy that aligns with the nation’s economic and developmental interests.
Speaking at a news conference in Lagos on Monday ahead of the second edition of the GTP Conference scheduled for May 15, Musa emphasised that the country must adopt global best practices while crafting a transport policy that serves its unique needs.
“Transport infrastructure is capital intensive,” Musa noted, adding that the upcoming conference is intended to attract investors willing to finance key transport projects and foster collaborations across sectors. “We must design our own transport policy to meet our national interest. That is the only way to get it right and bring in sustainable investments.”
He criticised the practice of outsourcing policy formulation to consultants without broad-based stakeholder involvement. “Transport policy is not something you give to a consultant to write. It’s something you bring all major actors together to design.”
Highlighting the importance of transport to national development, Musa said: “Transport is the driving force behind every economy. Getting it right means getting the economy right.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Marka Onuche, Director of Strategic and Business Development at GTP, revealed that GTP has initiated several engagements with government bodies and industry players aimed at laying the groundwork for a comprehensive transport policy.
“This conference is a way to build momentum around that development,” Onuche said. “As long as the world is moving, Nigeria needs to move with it. We need to leapfrog, and the policy is the way to go.”
Mrs. Oritsematosan Edodo-Emore, Chairman of Zoe Maritime Resources Ltd., called for actionable outcomes from the GTP Conference that could shape the country’s transport future.
“The conference promises to be interesting as it will explore the value chain of Nigeria’s transport system—road, rail, water, and air—and seek solutions using technology, innovation, and expertise,” she said. “We aim to produce a communique that the Federal Government can adopt.”
Other dignitaries at the news briefing included Dr. Olusegun Awe-Obe, Director of Administration and Human Resources at GTP, and Ms. Regina Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of GTP Magazine.
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This year’s GTP Conference will carry the theme “Sustainable Transportation Systems, Global Best Practices and Lessons for Nigeria.” Panel sessions will explore sub-themes such as “Building for the Future: Global Best Practices in Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Development” and “Connecting the Dot: Global Best Practices in Integrated and Multimodal Transport System.”
Key stakeholders expected at the conference include heads of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other prominent figures in Nigeria’s transport ecosystem.
NAN
