NITT HAS DONE VERY, VERY WELL — HON. ABBAS TAJUDEEN
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen (Iyan Zazzau), has expressed, in superlative terms, the committee’s satisfaction with the level and quality of projects executed by the Director General/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Dr. Bayero Salih Farah.
Hon. Abbas stated this while fielding questions from journalists after the Joint Senate/Committee on Land Transport’s oversight function at the Institute’s Headquarters in Zaria recently.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari, and members of the Committee, Hon. Abbas said: “From what we have seen on ground, and from the report we are receiving from the Liaison Offices, the management of NITT has done very, very well.”
Other members of the Committee also spoke approvingly of the various projects being inspected. Hon. Prince Kayode Moshood Akiolu, Member, representing Lagos Island II, could only wish all members had come to see the awe-inspiring projects. He said, “I wish we brought all the Committee members to this place; to see things for themselves.”
The Joint Committee admonished the Institute to broaden its revenue base as it has “the capacity to turn the fortune of this country around.” Issues such as publicity, networking and collaboration, as well as centralisation of driver certification were also brought to the fore.
Making a presentation to the Joint Senate and House Committee on Land Transport, the Director General/Chief Executive of NITT, Dr. Bayero Salih Farah, noted that the Institute has introduced certain programmes targeted at the youths. “These are programmes designed for youths to acquire skills on specific trades”, the DG/CE said.
These programmes included National Innovative Diploma (NID) in Automotive Mechatronics, Fire Engineering, Welding and Fabrication, Shipping Management, Electrical Engineering, as well as National Vocational Certificate (NVC) in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
Speaking further, Dr. Farah observed that the “Institute is mandated to establish the National Data Bank to collect and disseminate information on operations of the transport sector.” He noted that the Institute was also establishing an Intelligent Transport System Centre to improve transport management in the country.
To further professionalise the transport and logistics industry, and ensure safety on the roads, NITT had established Driver Development Centres in some parts of the country. In these centres, “we will be able to offer programmes that are internationally recognised” where drivers could obtain “international licenses that can be accepted in the UK, USA, Dubai”, the DG/CE said.
