OVER 500 INDUCTED INTO CIoTA IN 2026 AS OBAYENDO UNVEILS CONTRANSP GAZETTE, BOWS OUT

The Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA) inducted more than 500 new members in 2026 alone, bringing its national database to over 4,000, outgoing President Prince Segun Ochuko Obayendo announced in Lagos on Wednesday during his valedictory address at the 8th National Transport Conference.

Obayendo, who is completing his tenure as the second President of CIoTA since the Institute attained chartered status, also unveiled the Council for the Registration of Transport Practitioners (CONTRANSP) National Gazette and formally handed over to Professor Samuel G. Odewunmi.

“When I sought to contest and eventually assumed office, I never saw the office as a place to sit,” Obayendo told members. “I saw it as a conviction to carry.”

The Council for the Registration of Transport Practitioners (CONTRANSP) is the regulatory arm established to register, certify and regulate transport practitioners across Nigeria. Operating as a public-private partnership with government mandate, CONTRANSP is tasked with computerisation and certification of transport practitioners, including pollution certification and other professional standards across all modes of transportation.

The CONTRANSP National Gazette, unveiled at the conference, creates an authoritative platform for professional knowledge, research, regulation and policy discourse. It is designed to serve as a reference document for practitioners, regulators, academics and policymakers, setting out the standards, ethics and registration requirements that govern transport administration in Nigeria.

Obayendo described the Gazette as a milestone in CIoTA’s journey toward professionalising the sector. “We unveiled the CONTRANSP National Gazette, creating an authoritative platform for professional knowledge, research, regulation and policy discourse,” he said.

The outgoing President reported that CIoTA’s membership grew from approximately 1,200 at the start of his tenure to over 4,000 today. The Institute expanded its presence across the six geopolitical zones, established new state branches and chapters, and created the Council of Fellows and the Elders Forum.

“We established a dedicated National Headquarters, giving CIoTA a permanent institutional home,” Obayendo said. “We launched CIoTA Consult Limited to strengthen our professional and commercial capabilities.”

He noted that CIoTA’s advocacy contributed to the process that led to the passage of the Land Transport Policy. The Institute also deepened engagement across road, rail, maritime, aviation and pipeline transportation, and strengthened relationships with government, regulators, academia, operators and the private sector.

“CIoTA is now more visible in national policy conversations, within the professional community, across the different modes of transportation, in academia, and among regulators and government institutions,” he said.

Obayendo paid tribute to the Institute’s founder, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rafiu Ishola Babatunde Balogun, Ejalonibu II, the Elejirin of Ejirin land.

“You saw what did not yet exist and believed in it enough to build it,” he said. “Every step I took, I took on ground you prepared.”

He also thanked his immediate predecessor, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, for handing over an Institute “in good order,” and acknowledged the Elders Forum for its guidance. The creation of the Elders Forum during his tenure, he said, reflected his belief that “an institution that honours its elders preserves its memory, learns from its history and gives wisdom a place at the table.”

Addressing Professor Odewunmi, Obayendo said: “You inherit an institution with history, a stronger foundation, a growing membership, a national structure, and a professional voice that has become increasingly visible. But above all, you inherit a responsibility.”

He urged the new leadership to build on what works, correct what needs correcting, and take CIoTA to new heights.

“I will not be a former President who watches from a distance,” he said. “I will be here as a member, as a friend, as a Fellow and as a servant of this cause whenever my experience or support can be of value.”

Obayendo described his exit as a transition rather than a departure. He noted that the 2026 strategic retreat had placed fresh emphasis on governance, operational systems, member value and institutional development.

“An institution must be bigger than the person who leads it,” he said. “Leadership is temporary. Institutions are meant to endure.”

He expressed gratitude to the National Executive Committee, the Governing Council, and the Secretariat; particularly past Registrar Mr. Rasheed Aiyelabegan and current Registrar Mrs. Ijeoma Clara Okere,as well as partners, members and his professional home, Temple Group.

“I leave this office with gratitude, not regret. With fulfilment, not finality. And with the confidence that the best days of CIoTA may still be ahead,” he said.