Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation, Segun Ochuko Obayendo, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s transport system to improve the movement of goods and people and reduce the cost of doing business.
Speaking at the 2026 Transport Industry Summit in Lagos, Obayendo said Nigeria’s economic potential would remain constrained unless road, rail, waterways, ports and other transport modes were better integrated.
He identified fragmented transport networks, multiple checkpoints, insecurity, weak coordination and informality in road transport as major cost drivers.
Obayendo said Nigeria could draw lessons from countries such as Singapore, Germany and China, where transport infrastructure and technology were deliberately linked to broader economic development.
He cited intelligent transport systems, automation and integrated ticketing as areas where technology could improve efficiency.
The presidential adviser argued that cargo movements that could be completed through a mix of road, rail and water often take longer and cost more when forced almost entirely onto roads.
He said a modern transport system should combine infrastructure investment, professional regulation, technology and intermodal planning.
According to him, Nigeria’s ability to industrialize and compete internationally would depend not only on producing goods but also on moving them efficiently to domestic and export markets.
