Experts blame poor policy implementation for Nigeria’s transport failure

Transport and logistics experts have blamed weak political will and poor policy implementation for Nigeria’s failure to develop an efficient integrated transport system, despite its pool of local expertise and repeated government initiatives.

The experts spoke at the second edition of the Transport Summit, held over the weekend in Lagos, with the theme, ‘Navigating Global Disruption and the Road Ahead: Mobility, Energy and Trade Facilitation for a Resilient Future.’

Speaking during a panel session on a paper presented by a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, Dr Femi Aiyegbajeje, titled ‘Rail-Led Multimodal Integration: Unlocking Efficient Transport, Trade Facilitation and National Connectivity,’ the speakers said the country’s major challenge was not a lack of ideas but the inability to translate policies into tangible results.

The Managing Principal of AZ Logistics, Dr Azeez Mustapha, said Nigeria had the capacity to build an effective integrated transport system but lacked the political commitment to implement its policies.

“Nigeria does not lack much. What Nigeria lacks is implementation. We lack the political will,” he said.

Mustapha cited discussions on connecting the Lagos rail network to airports as an example of projects whose success would depend on sustained implementation, urging governments at all levels to prioritise execution and develop solutions suited to the country’s realities.

The Managing Director of Expedite Movers Nigeria Limited, Olubowala Ade-Onojobi, also faulted the country’s approach to policymaking, noting that successive administrations had introduced policies without ensuring their effective implementation.

She urged authorities to focus on delivering existing policies rather than continually announcing new ones, adding that Nigeria could learn from the United Kingdom’s transport system without blindly copying foreign models.

Related News

• Two container trucks overturn in Lagos, kill mother, child
• NDLEA arrests S’African with 36.65kg cocaine at Lagos airport
• Daily Times to honour Nigerian changemakers at centenary awards

“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.

In contrast, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, argued that Nigeria did not need to import an entire transport model to achieve effective integration.

He advocated homegrown solutions that build on existing initiatives and reflect the country’s needs, citing the Lagos State Cowry Card as an example of progress.

According to Emmanuel, the payment platform enables commuters to pay for journeys across boats, Bus Rapid Transit services and rail, demonstrating how a common payment system can improve convenience and connectivity across different transport modes.

The Publisher of MMS Plus Newspaper, Kingsley Anaroke, called for a gathering of Nigerian transport experts to develop a practical framework for integrating the country’s transport infrastructure and services.

He said Nigeria had the human resources needed to design an efficient system but had failed to harness its expertise and sustain policy implementation.

Anaroke cited the country’s Cabotage policy as an example of an initiative whose expected benefits had not been fully realised, warning that adopting foreign models without addressing local challenges could yield little progress.