The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, had called for collaboration between the private sector and the Federal Government to establish transport databank applications in Nigeria.
This call was made during his keynote address at the one-day stakeholders’ engagement forum on “Smart National Transport Databank (NTD),” organized by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) in Zaria, on Tuesday.
The forum focused on “The Strategic Importance of a Smart National Transport Databank in Socio-Economic Development of Nigeria.”
Alkali explained that the event aims to help establish a better system for collecting and managing transport data in the country.
- “NITT has decided to invite all the relevant stakeholders to come together to brainstorm on the strategic importance of developing a viable and sustainable smart transport data bank for the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
- “Similarly, this will sensitize stakeholders on the need and importance of transport data for national planning, improved policy formulation, and synergy in the transport sector, as well as facilitating economic growth and development.
- “I am very optimistic that this event will come out with resolutions that will impact positively on the development of the Nigerian transportation sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration,” he said.
The minister mentioned that the National Council on Transportation approved the decision to create the National Transport Databank (NTD) during a meeting in Makurdi, Benue, in 2012.
The council instructed the institute to work with other groups to set up the NTD, which will be located at NITT and the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
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Dr. Bayero Farah, the Director General of NITT, mentioned in his welcome speech that the institute has been working on various steps over the years to make the National Transport Databank (NTD) functional as part of its vision.
- “These efforts include- the hosting of several workshops in Ibadan in 2013, Kaduna in 2014, and the inauguration and hosting of a technical workshop tagged ‘’Towards Development of an NTD Bank’’ which was held in Abuja in 2021.
- “Also, in 2022 the institute initiated the construction of an Intelligence Transport Centre in Zaria that will house the NTD Facilities and other advanced Technologies for Research and Development in Transport Technology and Innovations in the country.
- “Hence, this forum is therefore aimed at securing the buy-in of stakeholders in the sector such that implementation of this project would enjoy your full support and commitment in the overall interest of the Nigerian Transport system,’’ he said.
Farah mentioned that the event aimed to make participants more aware of the latest and best ways to use globally.
He emphasized the importance for Nigeria to adopt international trends, especially in applying digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence, sensing tech, and RFID for real-time data capture in all transportation modes.
