Key stakeholders in Nigeria’s transportation sector have called on the Federal Government to fully embrace a multimodal transportation system as a strategic pathway to achieving safer, more efficient, and sustainable mobility across the country.
The call was made on Wednesday at the Global Transport Policy (GTP) Annual Multimodal Roundtable held at the Marriott Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos. The event was themed, “Transforming Nigeria’s Transport System: Integrating Solutions for Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability.”
Delivering the keynote address, President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, stressed the need for Nigeria to adopt an integrated transportation framework that effectively links road, rail, air, and maritime transport systems.
According to him, embracing multimodal transportation would significantly reduce transportation costs while addressing challenges associated with poor connectivity among the nation’s transport corridors.
“If Nigeria is serious about developing a 21st-century transportation system, we must embrace multimodal transportation. This will help reduce costs and improve connectivity between rail, road, air, and maritime transport networks,” Oyeyemi said.
He identified infrastructure deficits and system management challenges as major factors limiting the performance of Nigeria’s transport sector despite its vast potential.
Speaking on the country’s transportation market performance, Oyeyemi highlighted what he described as a “size versus performance gap,” noting that Nigeria possesses enormous transport resources that remain largely underutilised.
He commended the Federal Government for recently initiating a project in the maritime sector, describing it as a positive step toward strengthening transportation infrastructure and improving sectoral performance.
The former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also called for stronger collaboration among the federal, state, and local governments to drive strategic interventions capable of accelerating growth in the transport sector.
He further noted that Nigeria’s approximately 830-kilometre coastline presents significant opportunities for economic growth through enhanced maritime transportation and logistics activities.
“We need decisive leadership and discipline in managing our transportation system. Safety must remain a priority, while investments in infrastructure should be intensified to support national development,” he added.
Oyeyemi also urged state governments to emulate Lagos State’s achievements in transportation planning, traffic management, and urban mobility initiatives, describing the state’s transport development efforts as a model for others.
During a panel discussion, Dr. Fagbenro Abiola Hammed of the Department of Transport Management and Operations, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University (LASU), described the roundtable as timely and impactful.
He encouraged the organisers to sustain the initiative and ensure that students are actively involved in future engagements aimed at advancing Nigeria’s transportation sector.
According to him, exposing students to practical industry experiences would help bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world transportation challenges, while preparing them to become future problem-solvers in the industry.
Also speaking during the question-and-answer are session, Dr. Kristy Bisiriyu advocated taking similar professional engagements to the grassroots level to identify and nurture emerging talents within the transportation and logistics sector.
She noted that many undergraduates possess innovative ideas capable of addressing transportation and logistics challenges in Lagos State and across the country.
Bisiriyu disclosed that students of LASU’s School of Transport and Logistics have, over the past five years, benefited from employability and internship opportunities facilitated by organisations such as the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA),
Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), and several private-sector partners.
The event attracted leading stakeholders from academia, government agencies, and industry, including representatives of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Dr. Joshua Odeleye, Professor Iyiola Oni of the University of Lagos, and Engr. Akinleye, among others.
Participants at the roundtable unanimously agreed that integrating Nigeria’s transport modes and strengthening institutional collaboration remain critical to unlocking the sector’s full potential and driving sustainable national development.
