Abuja / Xiamen, May 2026
Nigeria has joined the ranks of global leaders in intelligent transportation, following the selection of ITS Nigeria as a co-founding member of a major ITS Industry Alliance at the 2026 China International ITS Industry Expo (CITSE 2026) in Xiamen. The alliance was created under China’s Belt and Road ITS Initiative. Joining delegations from the United States, India, Finland, New Zealand, Malaysia, and other global ITS leaders, ITS Nigeria helped establish a standing international body that will shape how smart mobility technologies are developed, shared, and deployed worldwide.
Debo Shopade CEng FCHIT, Co-Founder, Vice President and International Director of ITS Nigeria, participated in the Forum’s founding and was specially selected alongside six other international ITS heads to formally declare CITSE 2026 open during the event’s high-profile opening ceremony, a distinction that reflects ITS Nigeria’s rising stature in global ITS governance.
A New Multilateral Architecture for Smart Mobility
The ITS Industry Alliance denotes a significant development in the organisation of global transport technology collaboration. Convened under China’s Belt and Road ITS Initiative a programme designed to extend China’s world-leading ITS expertise to partner nations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond the alliance establishes a structured multilateral mechanism through which national ITS associations can coordinate research, harmonize technical standards, share real-world deployment experience, and build commercial partnerships.
Speaking at CITSE 2026, Wang Yunpeng, President of the China Intelligent Transportation Systems Association (China ITS Association) and President of Beihang University, described the moment as transformative. “‘AI plus transportation’ has become the new development paradigm for advancing the country’s strength in transportation,” he said, adding that China “has basically formed a modern, comprehensive and three-dimensional transport network and is accelerating toward a more digitalized, intelligent, coordinated and greener system.” The creation of the International Forum, he indicated, ensures that these gains are shared globally.
Yang Ying, Vice president and Secretary General of China ITS Association, welcomed the inclusion of Nigeria in the founding cohort. “We selected these partner nations because they represent regions where ITS can make the greatest difference and where we see the strongest commitment to making smart mobility a national priority,” she said. “Nigeria’s inclusion speaks to ITS Nigeria’s demonstrated leadership and the enormous opportunity that exists to transform transportation outcomes for millions of Nigerians.”
Nigeria as Co-Architect, Not Observer
ITS Nigeria’s involvement in the Forum’s founding carries direct strategic weight. As a co-founding member, the organisation holds an active role in shaping the Forum’s agenda, contributing to standard-setting processes, and influencing the direction of technology cooperation not merely participating as a recipient of decisions made elsewhere.
“Being part of this founding group, alongside ITS organisations from the United States, Finland, New Zealand and Malaysia, places Nigeria firmly among the nations defining the future of transportation technology globally,” said Debo Shopade CEng FCHIT. “This is not a passive membership. We are co-architects of an alliance that will influence how ITS is deployed, regulated, and experienced across the developing world and beyond. For Nigerian engineers, policymakers, and technology companies, this opens doors that have never been open before.”
Nigeria’s transportation challenges, annual road fatalities in the tens of thousands, chronic urban gridlock in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, and freight inefficiencies that elevate the cost of goods nationwide make the country an urgent candidate for intelligent transport solutions. The Forum provides a structured international channel through which Nigeria can access the expertise, technology relationships, and financing intelligence required to accelerate domestic ITS deployment.
Wang Junming, Vice president of China ITS Association and Chair of the alliance, pointed to the Forum’s practical agenda. “We will work through this Forum to co-develop technical standards that reflect diverse national contexts, to facilitate deployment partnerships, and to ensure that Belt and Road ITS cooperation delivers tangible outcomes in each member country,” she said. “Nigeria is a critical market and a trusted partner in this effort.”
Forum Structure and Working Agenda
The International Cooperation Alliance of sixteen founding associations agreed to organize cooperation across four principal workstreams:
- Joint standard-setting: developing ITS technical and operational standards mutually recognised across member countries and adapted to their distinct national conditions;
- Technological cooperation: establishing frameworks for the transfer and co-development of ITS technologies between member nations;
- Project implementation: facilitating multi-country deployment initiatives and pilot programs that demonstrate ITS solutions in real-world settings;
- Knowledge exchange: convening an annual forum, working groups, and site visits to share deployment experience and research findings across member associations.
The creation of the industry alliance at the CITSE 2026, the expo which engages more than 1,000 global industry partners and targets over 60 international regions, served as an ideal launch point for a forum of this ambition one that will carry the momentum of China’s ITS industry outward on a permanent, multilateral basis.
Speaking about the MOU and ITS Industry Alliance, Dr. Joshua A. Odeleye ITS Nigeria said, ‘To guarantee the safety of our citizens and the seamless flow of economic activity, Nigeria must make ITS deployment a national priority across every mode of transport. Investment in intelligent transportation will move our sector decisively into the 21st century. This MOU with China ITS Association, combined with our membership of the ITS Industry Alliance, gives us the partnerships and the platform to ensure that only solutions truly suited to Nigeria’s needs are the ones that get delivered”.
ITS Nigeria advocates for the adoption of Intelligent Transport Systems, utilizing data-processing technologies to alleviate gridlock, optimize traffic management, and reduce intersection delays. Beyond technology deployment, the organization drives public awareness and fosters local and global networking through targeted media campaigns, newsletters, workshops, and conferences. This advocacy is further amplified by their membership in the International Cooperation Forum, which significantly scales the reach of their mission.
“This is a historic week for Nigerian transport,” Debo Shopade said. “We came to Xiamen as a respected national association. We leave as co-founders of a global forum and signatories to a landmark bilateral MOU. The work begins now, and Nigeria’s transport future is brighter for it.”
ITS Nigeria is the national association for the Intelligent Transport Systems industry in Nigeria, dedicated to promoting the adoption of ITS technologies, raising awareness among stakeholders, and expanding opportunities for Nigerian industry members in domestic and international markets. For more information, visit www.itsnigeria.org
