The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), has said logistics is very important to economic development of countries across the world.
This was disclosed by the chairman, Conference Planning Committee of the institute, Prof Kayode Oyesiku, at a press briefing heralding the 2022 national conference and Annual General Meeting in October, where stakeholders will profer effective solutions for national logistics and transport operation challenges in the country.
According to him, a country with weak Logistics Performance Institute (LPI), will be vulnerable and susceptible to uncertainty and high business risk.
He said, “The importance of logistics in the economic development of nations cannot be overemphasized. The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) of nations is now the yardstick for measuring their economic resilience and competitiveness. Wherever the LPls are weak, the economy is vulnerable and susceptible to uncertainty and high business risks. They are categorized as having poor education and health care systems as well as poor social welfare and security framework.
“Therefore, giving the observed socio-economic phenomena in Nigeria from recent past to the present, the conference, through the combined cognitive interaction of professionals, practitioners and the academics, anticipates the adaptive measures that policy makers, thought developers and operators are required to embrace for sustainability and competitiveness, internally and amongst the league of allied nations.”
According to Oyesiku, the conference would allow stakeholders to interogate the future of logistics and transport operations in Nigeria.
He stated further that the conference would provide opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), for industry stakeholders, as well as, discovering new and innovative solutions to logistics and transport challenges that can impact business and professional practice.
“The CILT 2022 Conference is intended to attract scores of delegates from within and outside Nigeria, including business leaders, the academia and policy makers. It will encourage multi-disciplinary networks and will provide platforms for academics and professionals to identify and examine the challenges, as well as proffer effective solutions for national logistics and transport operations.”
“The Conference will comprise various Technical Sessions where subject-matter experts will lead conversations primarily aimed at interrogating the future of logistics and transport operations in Nigeria, especially within the context of a rapidly changing service environment, technological innovations and extensive planning dynamics that characterize logistics, transport and supply chain at the present time.”
“It will also feature exhibitions of transportation and logistics products from cognate industries and sectors. This Conference is an opportunity for CPD for industry stakeholders and affords an excellent platform for networking with businesses, colleagues, and experts in various fields of interest.
“As we dissect the logistics and transport industry from different cognitive perspectives, delegates will discover new and innovative solutions to logistics and transport challenges that can impact their businesses and professional practices.”In her own remark, chief executive, Patiti Consulting, Bisola Dere, (the lead consultants to LSETF/UNDP on the project) commended the graduands for patiently and tenaciously going through the eight-week skill acquisition program.
She expressed satisfaction with the various products exhibited at the Fair, which for her is a testimony that they indeed took the training seriously.
She, therefore, charged them to apply their newly acquired skills to better themselves and also impact the society positively in order to fully realise the aims and objectives of the project.
Dere also commended BIG for not only imparting the graduands with very good baking skills as all can see from the products on display at the Fair but for putting the Fair together because it affords the graduands the opportunity of showcasing the skills they recently acquired, thereby boosting their confidence to step into the business world.
Director/head of Training, BIG, Isaac Idowu, informed audience at the event that the curriculum the trainees were exposed is strictly Competency Based Training (BTC) which is in line with the BIG’s philosophy that identifies well-trained and grounded people as the essential pillar for the success of any bakery business.
He, therefore charged the graduands to move into the business world with the confidence that the knowledge they have acquired will help them scale through whatever challenges they might encounter.
The graduands who were full of joy and exuding so much sense of fulfilment expressed their appreciation to the various agencies which made the training possible.