MINISTER, LAGOS GOVERNOR APPLAUD TRAFFIC RADIO FOR EXCELLENCE IN TRAVEL ADVISORY.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN) as well as Lagos State Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu have applauded Lagos Traffic Radio, LTR, for blazing the trail in providing travel advisory for easy navigation of roads across Lagos Metropolis.
The duo spoke as Lead Speaker and Special Guest of Honour, respectively, at the 10th Anniversary Colloquium of the Lagos Traffic Radio, LTR, held in Lagos with the theme: “Integrated Transport System As A Lifeline for Economic Growth”.
Fashola, who set up the traffic radio during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State, submitted that integrating traffic education into the school curriculum in Nigeria is essential for raising a generation of law-abiding drivers, thereby changing the narratives about traffic offences in the country.
The Minister, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said such integration was important for traffic management, particularly in Lagos where traffic congestion is a critical factor, given the State’s status as the economic hub of the country.
His words: “I recommend that the Government challenges the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation, to introduce traffic education drawn from the Highway Code and the Traffic Law into the school curriculum in primary, secondary and tertiary schools in order to raise knowledgeable drivers that will obey traffic laws”.
“It is my belief that if this is properly implemented, Lagos State would have produced a new generation of motorists, who are more educated and aware of their rights and duties on our motorways”.
Fashola acknowledged that integrated transportation plays a central economic role as a source of opportunities for investment, employment, businesses, and the value chain in the transport network.
In his speech, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the creation of Lagos Traffic Radio as a noble idea that has proven its relevance in the past 10 years, maintaining that the broadcast outfit is undoubtedly the leader in its area of competence.
The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the theme of the colloquium captured the vision of his administration to drive economic prosperity in Lagos via the Transportation Management and Transportation pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.
Governor Sanwo-Olu applauded the management and staff of Traffic Radio for the commitment and resilience displayed over the years in ensuring that the radio station maintained its number one position across Lagos, Nigeria and the African Continent.
Earlier during the event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olusina Thorpe, delivered the welcome address on behalf of the Honourable Commissioner, saying said the theme of the colloquium was designed to highlight the benefits of integrated transportation and identify challenges confronting the transport sector.
“As we all know, transportation is the wheel of progress which drives other sectors of the economy to the point of destination. It is a sector that brightens our work when it is fully harnessed”, he said.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederick Oladeinde, said the prevailing and projected population explosion in the State made it essential to outline parameters for integration, especially Information and Time-Table integration.
The discussants at the colloquium included a former Commissioner of Transportation, Lagos State, Prof. Bamidele Badejo; Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. (Mrs) Abimbola Akinajo; and a representative of the National President Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Barrister Nfon Usoro.
Awards of excellence were presented to 13 individuals, including Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for their exemplary and visionary roles in supporting the growth of Lagos Traffic Radio.
TA/TMS/OS
