Business
TRACE trains officers on strategies to navigate complex traffic challenges
The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Public Service Transformation Office, Mr. Jola Oyeneye, has reaffirmed the vital role that coaching and mentoring play in enhancing the skills and performance of traffic managers.
He stated this in his lecture titled “Coaching and Mentoring in Traffic Management”, delivered at the 20th anniversary and 10th annual TRACE Commanders’ Conference/Retreat, held at the Valley View Auditorium, Isale-Igbein, Abeokuta. The theme of the retreat was “Building Resilient Leadership and Management Models for Traffic Personnel and Managers in Ogun State.”
Oyeneye described coaching and mentoring as powerful workplace tools that empower employees, noting that trainees in particular gain significant benefits such as increased confidence and improved interpersonal skills.
He emphasized that these relationships substantially improve individual performance, and that implementing coaching and mentoring helps establish hands-on training programmes for new employees, aiding their understanding of job expectations.
Rather than placing new employees directly into roles, the permanent secretary advocated providing a support system and interactive learning environment through professional coaching and mentoring to foster on-the-job confidence.
Highlighting the benefits of coaching and mentoring, Oyeneye said they include improved decision-making and problem-solving abilities, enhanced leadership and communication skills, increased confidence and job satisfaction, as well as improved team performance and collaboration.
Also contributing, the second guest lecturer from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona School of Governance Studies, Ago-Iwoye, Prof. Sola Adeyanju, in his lecture titled “Building Resilient Leadership and Management Models for Traffic Personnel and Managers in Ogun State”, noted that a resilient leader should encourage subordinates to develop emotional intelligence and empathy to better manage their teams.
According to him, leaders must equip subordinates with problem-solving skills and adaptability to navigate complex traffic challenges. Prof. Adeyanju further stressed that adopting innovative technologies would greatly enhance effective traffic management across the state’s road corridors, thereby reducing persistent challenges in the system.
Earlier, the Commander General and Chief Executive Officer of TRACE, Commander Seni Ogunyemi, said the efforts of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency were yielding positive results, as the number of crashes and fatalities had dropped significantly.
“The agency, over the years, has exposed its operatives and officers to different levels and categories of training and retraining for human capital development, geared towards professionalism and staying abreast of contemporary traffic management techniques for effective service delivery,” he said.
Ogunyemi added that TRACE had assembled a number of seasoned, cerebral, and erudite scholars with vast knowledge, expertise, and experience in road traffic administration and management to deliver papers at the retreat. He assured the public that the agency would continue to intensify efforts on its 24-hour service delivery initiative to ensure safety on the roads.
One of the participants, Area Commander, Operations and General Duties, Commander Teslim Adedeji, commended the organisers for an educative and impactful workshop, saying the knowledge gained would be useful in their daily traffic duties.
Highlights of the event included the presentation of certificates to participants.