The Federal Government has advanced plans to modernise Nigeria’s transport sector with the signing of a concession agreement between the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited (AAI) for the implementation of the Smart National Transport Databank (S-NTDB) project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Chairman of the occasion, Boboye Oyeyemi, described the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards intelligent, data-driven and technology-enabled transport governance.

According to him, the project represents the foundation of a new national transport intelligence architecture that will integrate real-time data from road, rail, maritime, inland waterways, aviation and pipeline transport systems into a unified framework.

Oyeyemi said the initiative was one of the most ambitious transport technology projects ever conceived in Nigeria and would address longstanding challenges associated with fragmented data systems, weak planning, poor traffic management, inadequate safety interventions and revenue leakages.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approving both the National Transport Policy and the implementation framework for the project under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Oyeyemi explained that the Smart National Transport Databank is Nigeria’s first fully integrated, multimodal, real-time national transport intelligence platform to  provide reliable data for planning, safety management, infrastructure deployment and national transport coordination,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi who was represented by the Director of Legal Services, Olusegun Omotola, said the project demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to building a modern, data-driven and secure transportation system.

He said FEC’s approval followed extensive technical, financial and regulatory assessments, reflecting government’s confidence in the project’s potential to transform transportation planning, management and security across the country.

Omotola explained that the project would establish a comprehensive digital transport intelligence platform for collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating transport and mobility data nationwide.

He disclosed that the project would be implemented through a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model, with Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited serving as the private sector partner.

According to him, major components of the project include the deployment of 250 solar-powered smart gantries at strategic locations across the country, establishment of traffic management centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, development of a central national data centre, and deployment of RFID-enabled smart e-tag technology for vehicle identification and monitoring.

“These investments will provide the foundation for a modern transport intelligence system capable of supporting safer roads, more efficient mobility, improved transport planning and enhanced national security,” he said.

Omotola added that the initiative would strengthen evidence-based policymaking, improve traffic management, enhance road safety, reduce revenue leakages, create jobs and support the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.

In his remarks, Director-General of NITT, Dr Bayero Salih Farah said the Smart National Transport Databank was not merely an ICT project but a national transport intelligence infrastructure designed to provide a single integrated, real-time source of transport and mobility data across the country.

He noted that through intelligent transport technologies, smart e-tags, automated vehicle identification systems, intelligent roadside infrastructure, traffic management centres and a centralised national transport data centre, the project would transform the way transport information is collected and utilised.

According to him, the initiative traces its origin to a resolution adopted at the 12th National Council on Transport held in Makurdi, Benue State, in 2012, which directed the establishment of a national transport databank.

Farah said NITT subsequently undertook stakeholder engagements, technical workshops, proof-of-concept demonstrations and regulatory processes, culminating in approvals by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), presidential endorsement and final approval by FEC.

He revealed that the first phase of the project would be piloted in Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa, Borno, Enugu and Edo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, before nationwide deployment.

Also speaking, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, said the commission had provided regulatory guidance for the project and issued the necessary certificate of compliance that paved the way for FEC approval.

Ewalefoh urged all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the project, noting that Nigeria is increasingly being viewed as a key investment destination globally.

He added that the commission had streamlined its processes to accelerate PPP investments aimed at bridging the country’s infrastructure deficit.

The Smart National Transport Databank project is expected to enhance transport planning, strengthen road safety operations, improve national security, facilitate multimodal transport integration and support data-driven decision-making across Nigeria’s transport sector.