Professional Development Needs Assessment for Transport Management Staff in Taraba State Civil Service

The effectiveness of transport sector management in Nigerian states is directly shaped by the professional competencies of civil servants responsible for policy, planning, and infrastructure oversight. This study conducts a professional development needs assessment for transport management staff in the Taraba State civil service, located in the North East geopolitical zone. A professional survey design was employed, with competency gap assessments and structured interviews administered to 80 officers in the Taraba State Ministries of Works and Transport, covering planners, engineers, project managers, and administrative officers. The study evaluates current competency levels against a defined transport management competency framework covering planning, procurement, contract management, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Findings reveal significant competency gaps in contract management, transport data analysis, and strategic planning, with fewer than 25 percent of surveyed staff having received any formal post-recruitment professional development in these areas. Training programmes are ad hoc and insufficiently linked to identified gaps. The study further finds that female staff face additional barriers to training access due to limited sponsorship and family responsibility constraints. Recommendations include the design of a structured three-year professional development plan for transport management staff, partnerships with Nigerian transport management institutions for short course delivery, gender-responsive training policies, and the introduction of a continuing professional development requirement for senior transport officers. These findings provide a replicable model for transport human capital development in Nigeria's North East. Keywords: professional development, transport management, Taraba State, civil service, competency gap.