Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim, a small business owner in Lagos, shared her harrowing experience with Nigeria’s transportation chaos.
“I had to catch a flight from Lagos to Abuja for a business deal, but after waiting for hours at the airport, they suddenly announced a postponement with no refund in sight,” she said.
While this story is common, it shows a larger issue facing Nigeria’s transport landscape, a sector buckling under the weight of poor infrastructure, inconsistent policies, and rising costs.
For years now, Nigeria’s transport sector has been riddled with inefficiencies. Rising fuel prices, poor road networks, and delays in flight schedules are commonplace.
The Guardian observed that major highways such as the Ogbomoso-Oyo road and Benin-Ore road, amongst other which link key commercial cities in Nigeria, have deteriorated to such an extent that travellers are left spending hours, if not days, navigating the craters and potholes that dot the roads. Compounding this situation, key roads leading to critical infrastructure, such as train stations, remain neglected.
Despite various efforts by successive governments to address the issue, progress has been slow. These failures are not just a matter of inconvenience; they are costing the nation economically and with the poor infrastructure, they slow down the movement of goods, increase transport costs, and exacerbate the country’s traffic problem.
In an effort to demonstrate its commitment to improving transportation, the Federal Government recently allocated billions of naira to rehabilitation of major roads and expansion of rail lines.
Early this year, the Federal Government through the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali, commenced efforts to update the National Transport Policy. He noted that the ministry is currently in high level discussions with foreign investors to see how the transportation sector can be fixed.
Alkali said the policy was to create an integrated and sustainable multimodal transport system and deliver for the nation an organised, efficient, competitive, integrated, private-sector-driven, safe, secure, and sustainable world-class land transportation system that meets the needs of a growing economy and the people.
According to him, transportation goes beyond the movement of persons, goods, and services but also determines the wellbeing of almost all other sectors of the economy, including industry, commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and tourism.
“In December last year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the vice president to lead a delegation to attend a conference in Beijing.
“The vice president was privileged to hold a bilateral discussion with the Chinese president. Among the issues raised was in respect of our railway modernisation project. The project was segmented initially. From Lagos to Ibadan was completed and put into use, and the Abuja to Kaduna, Warri to Itakpe. We are looking at the possibility of continuing the project from Ibadan to Abuja and from Kaduna to Kano, he said.”
Despite the government’s efforts, several hurdles remain. One of the biggest obstacles to improving Nigeria’s transportation sector is funding. Without sustained financial backing and transparency in project execution, these initiatives may fall short.
Moreover, expanding the rail system and upgrading airports will take years, and there is no quick fix for the current crisis. The lack of adequate refueling infrastructure, particularly rail services, also hampers the sector’s growth. Poor road conditions leading to major transport hubs like train stations further complicate matters.
A source in a transport service company, who requested anonymity, noted that the poor state of Nigeria’s roads is a significant obstacle to the growth of the sector.
“There isn’t a single good road left in this country; if you are heading towards Kaduna, Abuja, or Sokoto, the roads are so bad that they throw off our timing. For instance, a journey from Lagos to Abuja, which should take a day or two, now takes much longer time due to the deplorable road conditions.”
The source shared how the bad roads not only delay deliveries but also cause damage to trucks: “For example, Auchi in Edo State has such large pools of water on the roads that they shorten the lifespan of our trucks. One of our drivers recently spent 14 days on the road due to these challenges. Our trucks often get stuck for days, and by the time they return, many come back with significant damage. We have had situations where 10 out of 20 trucks come back in bad shape, impacting our ability to serve our clients effectively.”
The source also pointed to the issue of law enforcement, noting that officers often harass logistics operators without cause. “Law enforcement can stop us for no reason, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area or lack a specific document tied to that state. In some cases, they even resort to stealing, particularly if you are transporting beverages. This harassment has become worse in northern states with Sharia law, where transporting alcohol is a serious issue. We end up paying bribes just to continue our journeys.”
According to the source, safety concerns on bad roads exacerbate the challenges, with accidents being a frequent occurrence. “I’ve had a truck rollover because the driver was trying to maneuver around a culvert. These accidents cost us millions. If there are victims, the cost only increases as you have to treat them and recover your goods. It’s a tough situation, especially with poor road infrastructure.”
The source urged the government to take action, suggesting that a national transport policy focused on safety and proper road maintenance be put in place.
“There needs to be a unified body that ensures the roads leading to major cities are well maintained. The implementation of strict safety regulations is also necessary to prevent inexperienced drivers from causing more harm on the roads. There is currently no proper database, so someone can cause a fatal accident and get away with it. These issues must be addressed if we want to improve logistics and transport safety in Nigeria.”
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