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- Published: 05 October 2016
The authorities of the University of Port Harcourt and General Electric have commenced negotiations that would hopefully culminate in the establishment of a graduate programme in Transport Studies in the University. To prepare for the new partnership, plans have been concluded to transform the Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies (CELTRAS) in the Faculty of Social Sciences into a full-fledged Institute.
This cheering development was the outcome of exploratory talks between a delegation from the Institute led by Mr. Rori Balogun and Management of the University at the Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Room, last Thursday.
Explaining the proposed partnership at the meeting, Mr. Balogun who is Regional Learning Leader in sub-Saharan Africa of General Electrical (GE), disclosed that the company which is a global market leader in infrastructure development, will help build capacity in transport and logistics, including local and globally benchmarked skills. He expressed the willingness of his organisation to partner the University in training programmes that would support the industry which he said would be patterned along the Institute of Petroleum Studies model.
“We understand that IPS is structured in such a way that its model has worked and that is how we hope to grow the proposed partnership with CELTRAS. We also wish to understand the objectives of the Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies and its flexibilities to enable us determine where we fit into the whole thing,” Mr. Balogun told his host.
Responding, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Anthony Ibe, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ndowa Lale at the occasion, commended the organisation for showing interest in partnering the University. “I wish to assure you that the administration would be willing to enter into such a collaborative venture aimed at strengthening transport studies in a country that currently lacks a functional mass transit system. Let me also inform you that the IPS model you referred to is a very capital intensive venture that is heavily funded by the TOTAL/NNPC joint venture and we are hopeful that GE would give the necessary support that would make the partnership succeed,” Professor Ibe said.
Earlier in his remarks, Director of CELTRAS, Professor Osi Akpogomeh, explained that the Centre was established in 2012 to provide skills and knowledge in transport and logistics studies. Professor Akpogomeh also disclosed that the Centre currently had collaborations with organisations such as the Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), as well as a private organisation, Delta Marine Company, amongst other like-minded organisations aimed at broadening its activities.
