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LASU Don calls for speedy approval of national Land Transportation Policy

By Clifford Ejenavi Professor Odewumi Gbadebo of the Department of Transport & Policy, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University (LASU), has called on the Federal Government to conclude and approve the Land Transportation Policy as soon as possible. Prof. Gbadebo made this call while delivery the 99th edition of the University inaugural lecture…

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By Clifford Ejenavi

Professor Odewumi Gbadebo of the Department of Transport & Policy, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University (LASU), has called on the Federal Government to conclude and approve the Land Transportation Policy as soon as possible.

Prof. Gbadebo made this call while delivery the 99th edition of the University inaugural lecture tilted “Walking Our Way To The Garden of Eden: Envisioning A Model Of The Complete Metamorphosis Of The Urban Transportation System Trajectory” on Tuesday September 10, 2024.

According to Prof. Gbadebo, the national transportation policy must encompass all the modes: road, rail, water air and pipeline, adding that the indispensable concepts in transportation are integration and coordination.

“No mode is independent of the others. Those of us in the Nigerian academia and professional association are in agony seeing the balkanisation of the transport system’s administration. The transport sector is scattered in the Ministries of Transport (Road Management and Rail), Blue Economy (Inland and International Waters), Ministry of Aviation (Air), NNPC (Pipeline), and Ministry of Works (Road Construction). This is not an arrangement that will unleash the sector’s full potential in its facilitation and contribution to the national economy.

“We recommend that all these units come under the Ministry of Transportation, with an overall Minister and a Minister of State each to head the various modes as a unit.

“Given that we have gone very far in this unhelpful partitioning, we strongly advise that there should be a statutory standing committee with membership drawn from the Directorate of all the modes so that there will be a permanent handshake between the units. This will bring about effective coordination and planning. This is the minimum condition to bring the desire quantum leap for the sector. If not, our transportation system will struggle with disjointed incrementalism and uncoordinated development scheme”, Prof. Gbadebo said.

While congratulating the Lagos State for concluding its transport policy, Prof. Gbadebo noted that transportation policy is not a document crafted and kept in the archive to gather dust, maintaining that it should be open to continuous engagement with all stakeholders, such as teachers, researchers, industry, media, and investors. He therefore called on stakeholders to engage the Lagos State transport policy document highlight its strengths and weaknesses for the federal and other state governments still battling with their formulation.

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