President, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has called for urgent investment in road infrastructure, reduction in energy costs and expansion of multimodal transport systems to strengthen the logistics sector.
Oyeyemi made the call on Thursday in Lagos at the 10th anniversary lecture of City Business News, where stakeholders examined the challenges confronting the country’s transport and logistics value chain.
He said logistics operators were facing mounting pressure from deteriorating road networks and rising diesel prices, noting that the country remains heavily dependent on road transport.
This, he added, accounting for about 90 per cent of freight movement.
“Logistics is very critical. Everything you want to do needs planning,” he said.
According to him, weak infrastructure and inconsistent policy implementation continue to drive up operational costs, with ripple effects on inflation and the broader cost of living.
He warned that inefficiencies in the logistics system were also contributing to post-harvest losses, supply chain disruptions and rising food prices nationwide.
“When diesel prices surge, the engine room begins to choke,” he said.
Also, the founder of ABC Transport Plc, Mr Frank Nneji, said bad roads is a major structural constraint on transport operations across the country.
Nneji said worsening infrastructure and poor maintenance culture were increasing business costs, forcing operators to pass additional burdens to consumers.
He advocated more private-sector participation in road development, urging the Federal Government to adopt tolling and concession models to improve sustainability.
“The Federal Government should hand off road development to the private sector,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Nigerdock, Mr Maher Jarmakani, said logistics bottlenecks and high transport costs were weakening competitiveness in manufacturing and industrial production.
He stressed the need for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve efficiency and unlock growth in the logistics ecosystem.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the anniversary lecture attracted regulators and industry stakeholders, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigeria Customs Service and other maritime agencies.
