By Oluyinka Onigbinde
Stakeholders at the 12th Nigerian Transport Lecture have warned that Nigeria’s ambitious push for an integrated transport system could falter unless urgent reforms are implemented to strengthen safety governance, coordination and infrastructure across all transport modes.
The warning came at the event organised by Transport Day Media in Lagos, where policymakers, regulators, transport operators and industry experts gathered to assess the theme: “Intermodal Transportation Safety in Nigeria: Prospects, Challenges and Contribution to National Growth.”
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, the Director of Maritime Services in the ministry, Hajia Yusuf Abiodun Rashidat, stressed that transportation remains the backbone of economic development, warning that no meaningful progress can be achieved without a safe and efficiently integrated system.
She said Nigeria’s ongoing investments in ports, rail and inland waterways would only deliver full economic value if supported by seamless intermodal connectivity and strong safety governance.
According to her, while the Federal Government has recorded improvements in maritime security, port modernization and digital reforms, persistent gaps in infrastructure maintenance, regulatory enforcement and inter-agency coordination continue to undermine system efficiency.
She highlighted the strategic importance of inland waterways in reducing pressure on road networks, cutting logistics costs and improving safety, particularly in coastal and riverine communities, but urged stronger collaboration among transport agencies and private operators.
She also emphasized the need for technology-driven solutions such as intelligent transport systems, predictive maintenance tools and real-time digital monitoring to enhance safety and operational efficiency under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Delivering a hard-hitting presentation titled “Multimodal Transport Safety in Nigeria: Prospects, Challenges and Contribution to National Growth,” former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, warned that Nigeria’s overdependence on road transport poses a major threat to national safety and economic productivity.
He noted that more than 90 percent of freight and passenger movement in Nigeria still occurs on roads, a situation he said has intensified congestion, road crashes, infrastructure decay and high logistics costs.
Oyeyemi said while progress has been made through rail projects such as the Abuja–Kaduna and Lagos–Ibadan corridors, and improvements in maritime security, Nigeria’s transport system remains structurally unbalanced.
He stressed that multimodal transportation cannot function effectively without strong policy coordination and sustained investment across all transport segments.
The former FRSC boss also called for accelerated adoption of cleaner energy and safer mobility options, including compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s transport ecosystem.
In his remarks, the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Dr. Kingsley Igwe, said Nigeria’s transport system remains far below its potential despite having strong geographical and commercial advantages.
He warned that fragmented regulation, weak infrastructure connectivity and poor data systems continue to limit efficiency across the logistics chain.
Igwe described safety as an economic imperative rather than a compliance requirement, stressing that accidents, inefficiencies and cargo losses directly weaken national competitiveness.
He called for the deployment of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain systems and GPS-enabled tracking to modernise freight and transport operations.
He further advocated a National Integrated Transport Policy to harmonise regulatory frameworks across sectors and reduce institutional overlaps.
Presenting a paper titled “From Port to Hinterland: Rethinking Safety Governance Along Nigeria’s Intermodal Freight Corridors,” transport expert, Associate Professor Ogochukwu Ugboma, said Nigeria’s freight corridors are under severe strain from poor coordination and fragmented governance structures.
She warned that road crashes, cargo theft, infrastructure decay and delays along logistics corridors are increasing the cost of doing business and weakening national competitiveness.
Ugboma said current governance systems are hindered by overlapping mandates, weak accountability mechanisms and lack of integrated data systems across agencies.
She called for the adoption of modern corridor management frameworks, digital monitoring platforms and risk-based safety systems that integrate all actors along the supply chain.
She stressed that freight corridor safety must be treated as both an economic and national security issue.
Participants at the lecture agreed that Nigeria’s transport future depends on urgently shifting from fragmented modal development to a fully integrated, safety-driven system supported by technology, coordination and sustained investment.
They warned that without a decisive safety overhaul, ongoing infrastructure expansion risks failing to deliver the economic transformation envisioned under the national mobility agenda.
