The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has raised the alarm over the economic impact of insecurity and cargo diversion on Nigeria’s transport sector, estimating that transporters and logistics operators lose more than N15tn annually to unsafe highways and related disruptions.
The chamber has consequently called on the Federal and State governments to develop a 10-year integrated public transportation and transit infrastructure plan to address insecurity, improve road safety and strengthen the country’s logistics network.
The Chairman of the LCCI Auto and Automotive Components Sectoral Group, Dr Femi Eguaikhide, disclosed this while delivering a keynote paper at the 30th anniversary of On The Highway and Road Annual Lecture in Lagos.
The event had the theme, ‘30 Years on the Highways: Safety, Security and Sustainability – From Bad Roads to CNG Revolution.’
Eguaikhide, who is also Deputy Managing Director of RT Briscoe Nigeria Plc, said insecurity had become a major threat to transportation and logistics businesses, imposing substantial financial losses on operators and disrupting the movement of passengers and cargo across the country.
He argued that sustainable mobility would remain difficult to achieve when commercial drivers were afraid to travel at night and passengers felt unsafe at bus stops and transport terminals.
According to him, Nigeria’s transportation problems extend beyond road construction, as the absence of an integrated public transportation system continues to undermine efficiency, safety and convenience.
He said the country had continued to depend on imported fairly-used buses and routine pothole repairs three decades after the annual highway lecture began, without making sufficient progress towards an interconnected transportation network.
He also blamed the lack of coordination among transportation projects implemented by the Federal, State and Local governments for the persistent inefficiencies in the sector.
To reverse the situation, Eguaikhide proposed a 10-year dedicated public transit infrastructure plan, including the construction of 1,000 kilometres of dedicated transit lanes and 50 modern interchange hubs across Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu, with private sector participation.
He said: “An integrated system will enable commuters to move seamlessly between buses, rail services and last-mile transportation through interconnected terminals and a unified payment platform.
“Also, a shift from the traditional reliance on police checkpoints to technology-driven security arrangements, will improve the safety of passengers, drivers and cargo operators without unnecessarily disrupting commercial activities.”
He recommended the deployment of Closed-Circuit Television cameras and adequate lighting at transport terminals, mandatory GPS tracking and panic buttons in commercial buses, as well as cashless fare collection to reduce the risks associated with carrying cash.
He further proposed the establishment of a National Secure Corridor Command to connect the Federal Road Safety Corps, the police and private fleet operators for improved highway surveillance and emergency response.
The LCCI sectoral group chairman also advocated tax incentives to encourage transport operators to adopt cashless ticketing systems and invest in modern transport technologies.
On energy transition, he said Nigeria’s transportation future depended on the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric-powered vehicles.
According to him, the transition would help reduce operating costs, conserve foreign exchange and stimulate local automotive manufacturing.
Also speaking at the event, a former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Prof. Bamidele Badejo, called for a reorientation of motorists and other road users to improve safety on Nigerian highways.
Badejo lamented that the country continued to record preventable road hazards, warning that the situation would persist without deliberate efforts to change the attitudes and behaviour of drivers.
He said a survey conducted across the South-West indicated that many commercial drivers operated under pressure to meet daily financial targets and allowances, a situation that encouraged risky driving and increased accident exposure.
He called for appropriate financing structures from financial institutions to support motorists and transport operators, arguing that access to suitable financing would reduce the financial pressure on drivers and help improve road safety.
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