Nigeria’s transport sector is facing deep structural challenges that require coordinated reform across road, rail, and inland waterways, former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi, has said.
Speaking at a policy roundtable in Abuja, Oyeyemi described the country’s transport system as fragmented, with limited intermodal connectivity and an overwhelming reliance on road infrastructure for the movement of both passengers and freight.
He said the dominance of road transport estimated by stakeholders to account for the bulk of domestic logistics activity, has intensified pressure on highways, particularly in the absence of effective axle load control mechanisms and adequately maintained enforcement infrastructure.
Oyeyemi noted that the discontinuation of weighbridge operations had weakened efforts to curb overloading by heavy-duty vehicles, adding that such enforcement gaps have contributed to faster road deterioration and elevated safety risks on major transport corridors.
He cited concerns around heavy-duty truck operations, including petroleum tanker loads, as an example of the strain placed on Nigeria’s road network, although he did not provide independently verified technical benchmarks during his remarks.
At the same event, Chairman of Global Transport Policy (GTP), Dr. Oluwasegun Musa, presented data suggesting that inefficiencies in the transport and logistics system impose a significant economic burden on Nigeria, estimating annual losses in the trillions of naira. He also referenced high logistics costs relative to economic output, noting that they remain above global averages.
The figures were presented as part of policy discussions and were not independently verified at the event.
Transport analysts at the roundtable argued that incremental road rehabilitation efforts are insufficient to address systemic constraints. They called for a long-term national strategy focused on integrating rail and inland water transport systems to reduce dependence on highways and improve freight efficiency.
They further emphasized that sustained investment in multimodal infrastructure, alongside stronger regulatory enforcement, would be critical to reducing logistics costs and improving industrial competitiveness.
Nigeria continues to rely heavily on road transport for domestic trade, a factor widely cited by economists as a constraint on productivity and non-oil export growth in Africa’s largest economy.
Experts say addressing these challenges will require not only infrastructure expansion but also consistent policy implementation and institutional coordination across transport agencies.
