PROF. INNOCENT OGWUDE – Chairman, Council for the Registration of Transportants

The Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria establishment Act was enacted as an Act of National Assembly on the 22^nd May, 2019 and gazetted with Federal Government Act No. 27 of 2019 – as a Body corporate with perpetual secession, charged with the responsibility of advancing the study, training and practice of transport management and administration in Nigeria; and for other related matters.

The Act confers a sectoral professional regulatory responsibility on CIOTA, making it the prime and pioneer Institute in the Transport sector in Nigeria. In addition to the above stated responsibilities, CIOTA has also been empowered to set up a Council for the Registration of Transportants (CORTRANS), having the powers to regulate and control the practice of professional transport management and administration in ALL ITS RAMIFICATIONS in Nigeria.

The Council for the Registration of Transportants (CORTRANS) was established pursuant to section 3 (g) of CIOTA establishment Act 2019.The primary mandate of the Council is the registration of transport professionals referred to as transportants. This role is interpreted as a mandate to regulate the transport industry in respect of professional practice and the qualifications needed for certification of transportants and for eligibility to practice as transport consultants in Nigeria. It entails also the prescription of Benchmarks for Academic Standards and Accreditation of Transport programs in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and other institutions which offer education and training in preparation for the professional examinations of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria.

HON. CHINDA EVANS OGBUJI – Secretary (CORTRANS)

Existing role models for the fulfillment of this mandate include the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). They were established by Government as regulatory bodies for the regulation of practices in the respective professions.

Administrative Structure: The Council is supervised by a Board which is chaired by the President of CIOTA. Its operational activities are managed by a Chairman, Secretary, and eight other members of CORTRANS. The Council has the following Departments:

1. Accreditation and Quality Assurance
2. Registration, Certification and Licensing
3. Regulation.

Registrations, Certifications and Licensing are key elements in the role of CORTRANS. The Council shall register Individual Transportants; Transport Technologists; Transport Technicians and Transport Craftsmen. It shall also register Transport Consulting Organizations, and Transport Contracting and Service organizations. The Chartered Transportants Certification is detailed in what follows.

This is the Professional Transport Managers and Administrators® (CTN) certification program, designed for candidates who have a wide-range of education and experience in Transport discipline. It is the only certification program in Nigeria specifically addressing the work performed by transport professionals. By earning the Chartered Transportants (CTN) designation, you join a group of transportation professionals who have acquired requisite knowledge and skills in the practice of Transport management and administration, and who are registered under the category of full membership of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria.

The CTN status indicates professional recognition and competence, from peers and employers, of significant experience and capability to plan, implement, manage and evaluate the potential of future actions to improve transport management initiatives. The integrity of the profession is reinforced by the upholding of a code of conduct that ensures the highest standards of integrity, ethics and professionalism.

Globally, certifications are acknowledged as key in market differentiation and preference when making hiring decisions in many organizations, in that:

1. It indicates professional recognition and expertise, from peers and employers, of significant experience and competence to plan, implement, manage and evaluate the potential of future actions to improve transport management initiatives.

2. It sets the holder apart as an active practitioner who is knowledgeable in current principles and core practices of efficient transport management and administration in line with the emerging developments in the profession

3. It confers on the holder a sense of accountability, confidence, loyalty and continuous strive for commitment to the ethos of the profession

4. It provides an auditable and credible medium and platform for validating the quality of the service of the holder benchmarked against similar/identical body both locally and internationally

5. It establishes and confers the confidence of stakeholders and other recipients of the holder’s service, of his/her currency, business relevance and a measure of quality assurance of his services.

6. It demonstrates and recognizes diligence and commitment to the ethics and professional standards required of practitioners and provides a credible medium for enforcing such standards

7. It serves as an instrument that confers on the issuing professional body, the authority that relates to its mandate under the enabling Act.

8. It sets the framework for disciplinary measures, control and checks against deviations from standards and negligence on the part of the practitioner.

9. It serves as check against unauthorized presentations, representations or performance of the activities of the profession by persons not so duly authorized.

10. The integrity of the profession is reinforced by the upholding of a code of conduct that ensures the highest standards of integrity, ethics and professionalism.

To be certified as a Chartered Transportant® the candidate must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Be an active member who maintains current and up to date minimum of the Full Membership of the Institute, attained through the final professional examination stages.

2. Have an accredited Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Transport Management, Transport Engineering, Transport Economics, Maritime Management, Marine Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Aviation Management, Transport Planning, Traffic Management and Administration, Logistics and Supply Chain Management or other allied disciplines with three years of professional work experience in transport and allied industry,

3. Have an accredited Bachelor’s degree in a transportation discipline with five years of professional work experience in transportation, or have an accredited bachelor’s degree in a non-transportation course of study with seven years of professional work experience in transportation, logistics and allied industry; In all of these cases, the candidate must also pass the prescribed qualifying examination of the Institute, or be exempted from it.

4. Has no conviction for offences related to fraud, corruption or professional misconduct

5. Take and attain a passing score on the Chartered Transportant examination or be exempted from it; and

6. Have paid the application/examination fee and the three-year certification fee.

a) The License validity period is three (3) years, renewable, thereafter every three (3) upon revalidation.

b) Holders of license exceeding its validity cycle are not authorized to practice the profession and all businesses or contracts entered into during such period have no professionally certified backing and are null and void. It is illegal for holders of such expired license to make any professional Transport management presentations or representations.