Major General Usman rtd, IVP Africa, welcomes delegates to the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport's Africa Forum 2016 in Mauritius

1. WELCOME ADDRESS
BY
MAJ GEN UT USMAN FCILT
INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT
&
CHAIRMAN AFRICA FORUM
AT THE 2016 CILT AFRICA FORUM
HELD AT INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL RESORT,
BALACLAVA, MAURITIUS
09 – 11 MARCH, 2016
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2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

2. It gives me a great pleasure to speak to you this morning and to
welcome you all cordially to the 2016 Chartered Institute of Logistics
and Transport (CILT) Africa Forum in Mauritius, Mauritius – “The Key
and Star of the Indian Ocean”. That nearly all of us here travelled long
distances from our various countries for this meeting, serves to
remind us of the importance of CILT globally and the positive impact
of our overall activities in the Supply Chain, Logistics and Transport
Industry. May I therefore, seize this opportunity to specially welcome
all delegates, the Sponsors of this years meeting and Government
Officials that gave ample support towards the hosting of this event.
We are delighted to have all of you all here to participate, share
knowledge and network for professional excellence as the theme of
this year’s forum which is: Exploring Africa Hub – Logistics and
Transport as Growth Drivers was deliberately chosen in view of the
abandoned opportunities for sustained growth and development that
abound in the region.
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2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. To those of you that are
familiar with the delegates attendance to the Africa Forum
since inception, Nigeria’s delegation to the Forum have always
been outstanding and this year’s Mauritius Forum is not an
exception. We are honoured to have a very high delegation of
three indentified distinguished group from Nigeria to this
year’s Mauritius meeting. These distinguished groups consist
of the Military, Politicians and the Academia. On the military
side, the Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army, Lt. General TY
Buratai released 3 officers led by the Chief of Logistics of the
Nigerian Army to this meeting and the Chief of Air Staff
Nigerian Airforce also released 2 Air Commodores currently
serving in the Airforce Logistics Department.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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This is the first time in the history of Africa Forum that the
Nigerian Military would be sending such very Senior Serving
Distinguished Officers to be part of our meeting. On the political
side, we are honoured with the presence of 2 Honourable State
Commissioners, all the way from Nigeria. These are;
Honourable Manger Torkuna Emmanuel, Honourable Manger
Torkuna Emmanuel is currently as Honourable Commissioner
for Works, Transport, Power and Energy in Benue State and
Honourable Lawal Adamu Alhaji, he is also the current
Honourable Commissioner for Works and Transport in Borno
State.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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For those in the academia, we have the Director General of the
Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, Dr. Aminu Yusuf
FCILT and his group. To my humble self and CILT International,
it is a great honour to have these group of distinguished
Nigerians in our midst today. I therefore, wish to specially
welcome these respected high profile Nigerians most
respectfully to this year’s forum in Mauritius.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time in the
history of the Africa Forum, we have in our midst, delegation
from Malaysia led by the President CILT Malaysia and
International Vice President Regional Asia, Mr. Radzak Malek.
Accompanying the Regional IVP Malaysia is Mr. Ramli, Deputy
President CILT Malaysia, Dr. Rossly Azad Khan Vice President
CILT Malaysia and his wife. It is considered necessary to invite
the delegation from Malaysia for this year’s forum in view of
the fact that Asia is also gearing up to establish its own CILT
Asia Forum in line with what those of us in Africa have been
doing in the past twelve years. It is indeed, an honour and
privilege to have the Malaysia delegates with us in Africa
Forum this year. I therefore, wish to warmly and most
respectfully welcome my counterpart in the Asia Region, Mr.
Radzak and his team to this years meeting in Mauritius.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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To our International Ambassador, Chief Teetee Owusu-
Nortey who traveled all the way from Ghana via Kenya on
shuttled diplomacy, you are most welcomed. I believe Teete
Owusu-Nortey is well known because he was Chairman
Africa Forum for nearly six (6) years. He handed over
Chairman Africa Forum to Prof. Olupot of Uganda and I took
over from Prof. Olupot of Uganda in March last year in
Arusha, Tanzania. To all the resource persons in Mauritius
and all those that have traveled far and wide to this meeting,
including the global convener WILAT, it is my honour and
privilege to specially welcome you also.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to
congratulate our host, the Chairman CILT Mauritius, Mr.
Naden Padayachi and his able lieutenants for accepting to
host this Forum in spite of obvious constraint and challenges.
Indeed, following the hosting of the 2015 CILT Convention in
Dubai, and the programmed 2016 CILT International
Convention in Montreal, Canada, it was considered very tight
to host the Africa Forum in Mauritius in March this year. The
late hosting of the 2015 Convention in Dubai and the
programmed 2016 Montreal Convention did not provide the
much needed time for members in the Africa Region to
adequately prepare for maximum attendance due to obvious
constraints.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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That CILT Mauritius was able to put their heads together and
face the challenges of hosting the 2016 meeting is highly
commendable and their effort in receiving the Honourable
Prime Minister’s acceptance to launch the meeting is indeed
an honour to all of us in global CILT Family.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Mr. President, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the Africa
Forum was established in 2004 and have since then held 11
successful meetings in a number of countries in the Region.
The main objectives of the Forum are as follows:
 To grow and strengthen membership and education in
Africa and develop the Region.
 To establish professional standards and excellence in the
Region.
 To provide opportunities for Networking.
 To market and promote the Institute within host
countries.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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To a large extent, the objectives for which the Forum was
established are being achieved and progress is being
recorded annually. However, it was observed that CILT Africa
Forum have all along been conducting affairs in collaboration
with host nation government establishments and corporate
organizations without involving development agencies in the
Region. In line with Africa Union Strategic Framework for Pan
African socio-economic development in the 21st century, it
was considered necessary to invite Africa’s regional
development organizations and agencies which represent
Africa’s gateway to economic development and prosperity.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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For this reason, invitation letters to the 2016 Africa Forum
was sent to the following developmental organizations and
bodies:
 New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
 Africa Union Commission (AUC)
 United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
 Southern African Development Community (SADC)
 African Development Bank (ADB)
 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
 Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Of all these organizations that were contacted and invited for the
2016 Africa Forum, responses were received from Africa Union
Commission and United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa. A number of these development agencies/organizations
when contacted, complained of funds and lack of budgeting to
sponsor relevant officers to attend the meeting. While we can
understand the financial constraint of these regional bodies, we
shall continue to communicate with them so that they will be
aware of our activities and make budgetary provisions for
attendance of subsequent Africa Forum to assist us in our quest
for sustained progress and economic development and also assist
in encouraging Francophone African countries into the fold of
CILT family in the Region. On my part, I will continue to strive to
remind these African Development/Agencies and organizations
of the importance of our activities in the Region and the need for
them to partner with CILT in the Region and beyond.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I have no doubt that the
proceedings of this year’s Forum will be a valuable resource for all
of us as we are privileged to have resources persons of repute
who will present to us topical issues of interest that will help in
galvanizing the appropriate establishments for socio and
economic development of the Region. I have no doubt that we
shall all leave this place fulfilled and satisfied.
Once again, I want to welcome all our distinguished delegates and
each and everyone of you present here today and trust that we
shall all have a fruitful deliberation while enjoying the beauty of
Mauritius and its lovely environment and people.
2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius

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2016 CILT Africa Forum – Mauritius