LASTMA tasks officers on professionalism, public service

The General Manager, LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has urged its personnel to demonstrate greater professionalism, courtesy, empathy and accountability in their dealings with members of the public.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday following the commencement of a three-day modularised refresher training for officers of the agency.

Taofiq said the training was aimed at strengthening the professional competencies of LASTMA personnel and equipping them with contemporary knowledge, emerging global trends, operational standards and best practices in traffic management and customer service.

He said the programme, organised by MACTAY Consulting, a strategic training partner of LASTMA, was developed following a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment conducted with the agency’s Contact Centre Agents and Support Staff.

According to him, the assessment identified competency gaps, which were subsequently translated into eight structured learning modules designed to improve the efficiency, professionalism and service orientation of personnel across critical operational interfaces.

He listed the modules as Building Professional Customer Interactions; Communication Skills; Emotional Intelligence; Customer Experience Excellence; Contact Centre Operations; Work-Life Balance and Stress Management; Operational Standards; and Data Protection and Information Security.

Taofiq said the three-day programme brought together personnel whose responsibilities placed them at the frontline of interactions with members of the public and other stakeholders.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, commended the Lagos State Government for its continued support for the professional development, capacity enhancement and institutional strengthening of the agency.

Bakare-Oki said the state government’s commitment to human capital development remained critical to building “a more responsive, technologically adaptable and citizen-centred traffic management institution” capable of responding to the changing demands of urban mobility.

He noted that the rapidly changing nature of traffic management required continuous learning, professional reinvention and commitment to internationally recognised best practices.

“Lagos continues to experience unprecedented urbanisation, increasing vehicular density and heightened expectations from road users,” Bakare-Oki said.

He charged the participating officers to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into measurable improvements in their daily responsibilities.

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“The knowledge and competencies acquired during this training must be translated into tangible improvements in your daily responsibilities,” he said.

The LASTMA boss also urged the officers to imbibe and operationalise the new knowledge, methodologies and professional standards in the discharge of their duties.

He stressed that training should not be regarded merely as an academic exercise but as a tool for improving service delivery and operational performance.

“Training should not be perceived merely as an academic exercise, but rather as an institutional instrument for converting knowledge into measurable improvements in service delivery, operational efficiency, public engagement and traffic management outcomes,” he said.

Bakare-Oki urged the officers to demonstrate greater emotional intelligence, courtesy, professionalism and empathy when dealing with road users.

“Every point of contact with a road user represents an opportunity to reinforce public confidence in the Agency and strengthen the relationship between LASTMA and the motoring public,” he said.

He added that officers must demonstrate accountability in their interactions with members of the public, noting that the quality of service delivered by personnel could influence public perception of the agency.

Bakare-Oki said strategic partnerships with professional training organisations were important for exposing LASTMA personnel to contemporary practices and emerging global standards.

According to Taofiq, the programme was expected to improve participants’ understanding of modern customer service principles and strengthen their communication and interpersonal skills.

He said the training would also promote healthier approaches to workplace stress management, reinforce adherence to operational standards and improve officers’ awareness of data protection and information security protocols.

Taofiq said the initiative reveals LASTMA’s commitment to continuous capacity development as part of efforts to reposition the agency as a professional, technologically driven, responsive and people-oriented traffic management institution.

He added that the agency would continue to align its operations with evolving global standards and best practices in traffic management and public service.