The increasing vandalism of critical infrastructure along Nigeria’s rail and road transportation corridors has raised fresh concerns over public safety, economic productivity and the sustainability of the country’s transport system.

From the removal of railway fittings and components to the destruction of road signs, guardrails, and other safety infrastructure, transport assets installed to facilitate the movement of people and goods are increasingly being targeted by vandals and criminal networks.

Experts said the challenge went beyond the immediate cost of replacing stolen or damaged infrastructure, warning that disruptions to transport services could result in loss of lives, delays, reduced productivity, higher operating costs and missed economic opportunities.

An associate professor of marketing and transport services Researcher at Keele University, United Kingdom, Dr Emmanuel Mogaji, told The Guardian that the persistence of infrastructure vandalism showed that relying solely on security personnel was inadequate.

Mogaji advocated a three-pronged approach centred on education, surveillance and punishment, arguing that communities must understand the wider consequences of destroying public infrastructure.

“A stolen rail fitting, damaged guardrail or vandalised road sign is not simply government property being damaged; it affects the safety, mobility and wellbeing of ordinary citizens,” he added.

He said sustained public education was required to help communities understand that transport infrastructure was a public asset that enabled economic and social activities.

Mogaji also called for smarter and community-based surveillance, noting that security agencies could not physically protect every kilometre of railway and road infrastructure.

“Technology can help, but local communities, transport workers, scrap-metal dealers and other stakeholders must also become part of the protection ecosystem,” he said.

He stressed the need for credible sanctions, emphasising that deterrence would remain weak where vandals could remove public infrastructure, sell the materials and escape punishment.

The researcher was cautious about putting a monetary figure on the annual losses without reliable national data, but maintained that the actual economic cost was significantly higher than the replacement value of vandalised infrastructure.

He said the real cost included repairs and replacements, service disruptions, additional security expenditures, delays for passengers and freight, accident risks, lost productivity, and economic opportunities that disappear when transport infrastructure cannot function as intended.

He added that the consequences were also reflected in citizens’ well-being, particularly when damaged infrastructure restricted access to employment, education, markets and other essential services.

Mogaji said the country should, therefore, move away from viewing infrastructure vandalism purely as a security issue and instead treat it as a wider transport service challenge.

He urged the government and transport operators to combine better infrastructure design, technology-enabled monitoring, rapid reporting and response, community participation, enforcement and stakeholder engagement.

According to him, vulnerable assets should, where possible, be redesigned to make them difficult to remove or commercially unattractive to steal, while scrap-metal and recycling supply chains should be subjected to stronger traceability measures.

“Most importantly, communities along transport corridors should not be treated merely as potential offenders or passive observers. They should be recognised as partners in protecting the transport ecosystem,” he said.

He advocated local reporting mechanisms, community engagement, education and incentives for communities that help protect public assets.

Also speaking, a professor of transport management and former Dean of the School of Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Callistus Ibe, said vandalism of critical infrastructure was an act of sabotage, linking its prevalence to economic hardship, frustration and failures within the system.

Ibe said that critical infrastructure belonged to society as a whole and should consequently be protected by all citizens.

He, however, attributed the growing disregard for public assets in part to declining patriotism, which he said had been exacerbated by economic hardship and institutional failures.

“Critical infrastructure belongs to all and should be protected, but lack of patriotism, a fallout of the failed system, has thrown patriotism overboard such that these infrastructures are vandalised even with the presence of security,” he said.

Ibe also raised concerns about the effectiveness of security arrangements along transport corridors, alleging that some personnel may be aware of vandals’ activities but fail to act.

“The security personnel cannot absolve themselves of the existence of these vandals. They know them, and because the system has failed them too, they look the other way,” he said.

He added that in some cases, security personnel could allegedly become involved in the criminal activity, although he stressed that not all security officers should be regarded as complicit.

Like Mogaji, Ibe could not comment on the financial implications of vandalism for the Nigerian economy, but maintained that the losses were substantial and extended beyond direct property damage.

Ibe also called for greater deployment of technology and public awareness, particularly campaigns aimed at encouraging citizens to protect infrastructure as public goods.

He urged authorities to create employment opportunities for communities along transport corridors and to involve local residents in activities related to the protection and maintenance of infrastructure.

“Deployment of technology, awareness of people on the need to be patriotic and protect this infrastructure because they belong to all since they are public good, employs the natives, and is involved in activities that would generate employment,” he said.

He posited that a combination of these measures could significantly reduce the destruction of critical infrastructure.