For Black History Month we spoke to Jimoh about their inspiration, career pathways and their perspectives on shifting the dial on inclusion, in terms of the workplace, membership and professional practice. This year’s theme is ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’ Black History Month 2025 - Black History Month 2025 is a powerful lens through which to highlight the profound contributions made by Black people, be they leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth.
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Jimoh Ibrahim, Senior Transport Planner and Project Manager, ITP. CIHT Trustee, CIHT West Midlands Committee Member, SoRSA Member
Jimoh was born in the USA, growing up in a family of Engineers and Lawyers. Initially Jimoh wanted to be a doctor but decided he preferred engineering because it's something he could see and quantify. Jimoh attended high school in Nigeria, then moved to the UK to study an Undergraduate Degree in civil engineering at the University of Brighton, then a Masters in Transportation, Planning and Engineering at the University of Southampton.
Jimoh gained his first job at Haskoning, then Royal HaskoningDHV, starting as Graduate, then working in development, environmental planning and industrial. Jimoh worked his way up into international projects in Maputo (Mozambique), Saudi Arabia and Tanzania, and now does transport planning and project management.
“Not a lot of people understand what transport planners do, and I think that is our biggest problem – awareness. Rarely would you see a kid grow up saying they want to be a transport professional and it because of a lack of awareness and representation. Take Lawyers or Doctors for example, they not only represent their institutions but also represent their specialisms on a day to day. We have to be our own ambassadors and be proud of what we do. We literally save lives and grow economies on a daily basis, and this should be well portrayed not just for commercial value but also for social value”
“We need to have a bigger voice from beyond the UK, whether that's partnering with international universities and bodies to spread the word about CIHT, as things can be done virtually now, reaching out to a university and offering a free seminar to explain who we are, what we do, who can join and what transport professionals do in practice”
“It’s as much as a responsibility of individuals and organizations to make sure that they're adept in things like unconscious bias, because the world is changing rapidly – what is acceptable today is not necessarily acceptable tomorrow”
The opinions expressed are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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