…as stakeholders call for policy continuity, robust database management, collaboration to aid sector’s development
…seek establishment of National Integrated Transport Authority
By Sade Williams
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s transportation sector on Wednesday, dissected the issues beleaguering the sector, saying the nation currently losses an estimated N3.2 trillion annually to transport inefficiencies.
They identified these inefficiencies to range from gridlock, poor modal integration to logistics fragmentation, among others .
Speaking on Wednesday on at the Global Transport Policy Annual Multimodal Round Table with theme: Transformation ng Nigeria’s Transport System: Interesting solutions for efficiency and sustainability, held in Lagos, Chairman, Global Transport Policy, Dr. Segun Musa, lamented that due lack of connectedness in Nigeria’s transport system, road transport carries over 90 percent of freight and passengers, while rail moves less than 1 percent, a situation he described as a dangerous imbalance that inflates costs and emissions.
“Road traffic fatalities exceed 12,000 deaths per year according to recent Federal Road Safety Corps data, with another 70,000 serious injuries. These are not mere numbers; they are economic drains and human tragedies. Let me ground our discussion in data. Nigeria currently loses an estimated N3.2 trillion annually ($4 billion) to transport inefficiencies – gridlock, poor modal integration, and logistics fragmentation. “, Musa said.
The transport guru, who is so the convener of the programme and who spoke on sub-themes: Strengthening Institutions and Investments – Driving a Resilient Workforce, said only 18 percent of transport agencies have fully digitised workforce planning, raising the alarm that Nigeria face a skills gap of over 200.000 trained logistics and multimodal professionals.
“Without deliberate investment in institutional capacity and human capital, no technology or infrastructure will deliver results. We must move from ad-hoc training to certified, continuous workforce resilience.”, he added.
Also speaking, President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi commended Nigeria’s investments in its transportation sector but said ‘it lacks the institutional intelligence to make them work ‘.
According to him, the crisis in the transport system in Nigeria which stemmed from lack of interconnectivity, has birthed high cost of doing business in the country.
From left: Convener, GTP Annual Multimodal Round Table, Dr. Segun Musa, Chairman of the occasion Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju (retd) and President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi at the programme in Lagos on Wednesday.
For instance, Oyeyemi painted a disappointing picture of heavy concentration of pressure on road transport in Nigeria while other sectors like rail that should bear the pressure is left undeveloped.
“90 percent of transport responsibilities and pressure is rested on the road, most of the roads are bad because the rail system has collapsed, urban congestion crisis is the ripple effect of collapse if rail system. We di not have reliable data, we are batting with fragmentation if policy and I must say that lack of policy continuity is the bane of transportation in Nigeria. There is the urgent for government to establish National Integrated Transport Authority to save the situation”, he said
Chairman of the occasion, Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju (retd), who is also the President of Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, canvassed for the breaking down of the transport system in Nigeria which he said operates in silos, and design a truly integrated transportation framework that aligns infrastructure, technology, policy, and human needs into a single, coherent system.
“Our transport systems are the lifeblood of our economy and the arteries of our communities. Yet, too often, they operate in silos-road, rail, air, and waterways functioning independently, rather than as parts of a unified whole. Road networks are planned without rail integration, urban transit disconnected from rural needs, freight corridors competing rather than complementing.
“The transport system is the bridge to social inclusion, and a critical lever in our fight against climate change but poor multi modal transport management could result in congestion which costs billions in lost productivity while fragmented systems create inefficiencies and environmental strain.”, he said.
Onitiju however called for collaboration of stakeholders, in including those in the private sector, to realise an integrated transportation system
“No single government, company, or institution can achieve this alone, integration requires collaboration across sectors, disciplines, and borders. It demands that we think beyond our traditional roles and embrace a systems approach.”, he added.
Musa also corroborated his point saying: “I have always maintained that government cannot do it alone. Public-Private Partnerships, Build-Operate-Transfer models, and foreign direct investment are not optional – they are the engine of infrastructure delivery. We commend the federal government’s renewed focus on rail and inland waterways, but we must accelerate because every year of delay adds N800 billion in avoidable logistics waste.’
