Experts Fault Weak Political Will, Poor Execution for Nigeria’s Transport Deficit
Industry experts have attributed Nigeria’s inability to develop an efficient, integrated transport network to a persistent lack of political will and poor policy execution, despite abundant local expertise and numerous government initiatives.
This consensus emerged at the second edition of the Transport Summit held in Lagos over the weekend, themed “Navigating Global Disruption and the Road Ahead: Mobility, Energy and Trade Facilitation for a Resilient Future.”
During a panel discussion on a presentation by Dr. Femi Aiyegbajeje, a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, titled “Rail-Led Multimodal Integration: Unlocking Efficient Transport, Trade Facilitation and National Connectivity,” the speakers stressed that the country’s main obstacle is not a dearth of ideas, but the failure to translate those ideas into actionable results.
Dr. Azeez Mustapha, Managing Principal of AZ Logistics, emphasized that while Nigeria has the capacity to build a functional system, it lacks the requisite political commitment.
“Nigeria does not lack much. What Nigeria lacks is implementation. We lack the political will,” Mustapha stated.
He cited the proposed connection of the Lagos rail network to airports as an example of a project whose success hinges on sustained execution. He urged all tiers of government to prioritize actualization over rhetoric and tailor solutions to the country’s specific realities.
Aligning with this view, Olubowala Ade-Onojobi, Managing Director of Expedite Movers Nigeria Limited, criticized the government's cyclical approach to policymaking, noting that successive administrations launch new frameworks without ensuring the efficacy of existing ones. She urged authorities to shift their focus toward delivering on current policies rather than continually announcing new ones. She added that while Nigeria can draw lessons from the United Kingdom’s transport system, it must avoid the pitfall of blindly adopting foreign models.
“We have policy in this country. There is no year in which the government does not come up with new policies. The authorities should demonstrate how existing policies are being implemented,” she said.
Conversely, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy, argued against importing a wholesale foreign transport model. He advocated for homegrown solutions, pointing to the Lagos State Cowry Card as a tangible example of progress. According to Emmanuel, the unified payment platform facilitates seamless commuting across boats, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services, and rail, illustrating how a common payment system can significantly enhance connectivity across various transport modes.
Adding his voice, Kingsley Anaroke, Publisher of MMS Plus Newspaper, called for a dedicated assembly of Nigerian transport experts to design a practical integration framework. He noted that while the country has the human capital to build an efficient system, it has failed to harness this expertise or sustain policy implementation.
Anaroke cited the Cabotage policy as an example of an initiative whose potential remains largely untapped, warning that merely adopting foreign models without addressing domestic bottlenecks will yield minimal progress.
Tags: