The Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Olugbenga Dairo has called for increased collaboration between academic institutions and the transportation industry towards developing competent professionals and improving service delivery across the sector.
Dairo made the call when he received a delegation from the Department of Transportation, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, led by the Head of Department, Dr. Ajala Taiwo, at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abeokuta.
Speaking during the visit, the Commissioner said, the Ministry operates a multi-modal transportation system that offers practical learning opportunities for students of transportation-related fields.
He noted that exposing students to field realities would help them acquire hands-on knowledge and prepare them to meet the demands of the profession.
He emphasised that such engagements would enable the Ministry to assess potential talents that could become part of the future workforce.
“It is important to bridge the gap between theory and practice. We need to synergise the efforts of industry and academics to develop a sustainable and standard transportation system,” Dairo said.
The Commissioner, while commending the initiative, encouraged similar partnerships with other institutions across the country.
In her welcome address, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Aderonke Tokunbo-Peters said the visit would feature an interactive session with the students and key Ministry officials that would help in deepening their understanding of transportation planning and management in the public sector.
Earlier, the HoD, Dr. Ajala Taiwo, explained that the visit was part of the department’s efforts to expose students to real-world environments and professional mentorship.
He said over 500 students were currently studying Transportation at the institution, but only selected class representatives were brought to the Ministry due to space limitations.
He added that the selected students were expected to share their experiences and insights with their colleagues upon return.
The student representative, Elegbede Emmanuel, appreciated the present government for creating an enabling environment for Transportation professionals to ventilate their experiences, saying the visit would invariably increase their knowledge in transport management
