The long-awaited ITS Nigeria Webinar was finally held on the 14th of May 2024! It was such a thrilling and exciting session with participants from the transportation, tech, and law industries! It was a memorable day. And what even made it an unforgettable experience was the lineup of speakers! The Webinar started with an opening address given by Dr Joshua Odeleye who emphasized the objective and goal of ITS Nigeria. The diversity of the speakers is worth mentioning! Jennie Martin from the UK gave the keynote address then we had Inanc Karabulut from Turkey and then Ogochukwu Ugboma from Nigeria. Such insane diversity! Six speakers in total and each addressed the main theme of the Webinar: “Policies and Strategies for Effective ITS Deployment in Nigeria with Focus on Smart Cities and Future Mobility.” The Webinar was moderated by Victress Philemon.
Key points
Jennie Martin- “Smart Cities and Future Mobility- Where Next?”
• The Future of Mobility: Transport to serve everybody, every day. Sustainable options for people and the planet. A network that serves people and goods.
• Most ITS standards are formed and maintained within ISO Technical Committee (TC) 204. African governments need to fund experts to take part in research work so that the African participation in the committee will be high.
• Regulatory aspects of Urban Air Mobility (put link here)
Inanc Karabulut- “ITS: Opportunities and Challenges of Implementation for Authorities.”
• Automated BRT buses as a cost-effective mass transit solution for Nigeria instead of building new railways.
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement.
Ogochukwu Ugboma, PhD- “Strategies for Integrating ITS Technologies in Nigeria.”
• Policy Alignment, Data Collection and Analysis, Capacity Building, Public Awareness, Infrastructure upgrades, Pilot projects, Standardization and Interoperability, Evaluation and Feedback.
• The implementation of Traffic Information Systems by adopting data biometrics (gotten from vehicle and license registration) which will help useful in “tracking.”
Adedotun Adenigbo, PhD- “Urban Air Mobility: An Option for Smart Cities and Future Urban Mobility in Nigeria.”
• Urban Air Mobility can be relevant for those with disabilities, ensuring inclusive and equitable transportation.
Chinebuli Uzondu, PhD- “Transforming Transportation: Harnessing ITS for Safe Journeys in Nigeria.”
• Local adaptability of methodologies is pertinent.
• Data collection and analysis that will help to make informed decisions to ensure road safety across the country.
• Traffic Management, Automated Enforcement Systems, Road User Behavior, Vehicle Safety, Emergency Response.
Daniel Akinmade- “Why is the implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Nigeria progressing slowly.”
• The Ministry of Education should be involved in creating a budget that will aid in educating the public and raising awareness about ITS Technology.
• The Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Transportation should work actively to have the government involved so that these transportation policies will be enacted.
Questions were raised and discussed during the Webinar.
• What strategic steps do transportation professionals need to start taking to make sure that transportation policies are enacted into the Nigerian constitution?
• How can we work hand-in-hand with policymakers and legal practitioners?
• How can the government ensure data privacy and security in the implementation of ITS technologies for smart cities in Nigeria?
• How can Nigeria transition smoothly to implementing ITS technologies?
• What steps must be taken to make sure that the ITS infrastructure will be highly maintained across the country?
• How can the issue of vandalism (stealing of ITS equipment) be curbed?
We want to use this medium to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to make sure this Webinar was a success. From our moderator who did her best to professionally handle the smooth running of the session, to the speakers who brought out their time to prepare their presentations, and to our attendees who did not fail to sure up on a workday! From our hearts, we want to say thank you! We hope these Webinars spark an interest in the heart of transportation professionals, especially the public and this will be a step in the right direction to ensure that Nigeria becomes a Smart City!
ITS Nigeria Team.
Written by Moderator: Engr Victress Philemon
