The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in partnership with Dangote Group, has resolved to strengthen the supply chain industry in the country to meet international standards.
This was made known yesterday when the team from the CILT, led by its National President, Mrs. Mfon Usoro, honoured the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote Champion of CILT and his company, Dangote Transport, for their outstanding contributions to supply chain management in the country.
Usoro said it was necessary to involve operators both the public and private bodies like the Dangote Group in the institute’s efforts to position the transport and logistics industry in the country, as it also contributes to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
She said it was also necessary to strengthen the industry’s capacity to ensure operators know the regulations of the industry to operate a smooth supply chain in the country, which is the bedrock of the institute as the certificates are internationally and locally recognised to operate in various industries.
Usoro said the institute is reviving its corporate membership with notable public and private bodies, adding that Dangote Company has a growing number of CILT members.
Usoro also sought the input of Dangote Group and other corporate operators in the supply chain in the draft bill for the carriage of goods by pipeline within the country to ensure everyone operating in the industry is carried along in the institute’s plans for a better supply chain industry.
“There are areas that need input from operators of the transport and logistics chain in the bill that has been reviewed by the Ministry of Justice. We don’t want operators to start groaning that the bill did not take care of their interest or recognise the peculiarities involved in the transport and logistics chain once the law is passed.
“There are issues in the bill that with the appropriate department in the Dangote Group, we can interface because we speak for our members and the operators in logistics and transport and we also interface with the government to let them know the position of the private sector operators,” she added.
She also emphasised the National Development Plan (NDP), which she said did not contain any mention of the supply chain in the section for transportation, raising concerns about sufficient understanding of how logistics play into other sectors.
She said the institute has completed a review of the Nation Development Plan, which would be submitted to the Federal Government to fill the infrastructure, planning and knowledge gap in the logistics system, especially now that the institute is introducing technology into mobility to help in urban planning.
Speaking on the award to Dangote Group, the CILT president described the company as one that has shown unequaled commitment to total logistics in Nigeria and beyond.
Responding, the President of Dangote Group, said strengthening the supply chain in the country is crucial for the development of the economy while assuring his unwavering support to ensure the supply chain industry in the country meets international standards.
He said his company will keep improving in all its areas of endeavours, including empowering people with trucks to operate in the industry and assisting with road construction for the government.
He disclosed that his company gave out 1,250 trucks in 2021 at an average of N40 million per truck for those who want to venture into the supply chain business to pay in installments, adding that these operators need the training to be in tune with the industry regulation.
