The Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (CILT) Nigeria has set its sights on raising the contribution of the transport and logistics sector — covering road, rail, maritime and aviation — to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) beyond four per cent.

The institute said an integrated transport system was critical to reducing logistics costs, improving productivity and supporting economic growth.

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma; Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof Ayo Omotayo; industry operators, investors, development partners and other stakeholders are expected to deliberate on practical solutions to challenges confronting mobility, freight and supply chains at CILT Nigeria’s 2026 National Conference.

The conference is scheduled to hold in Abuja from October 21 to 23.

Speaking at a pre-conference briefing in Lagos yesterday, Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the 2026 conference, Dr Kayode Oyesiku, said transport and logistics were not merely sectoral concerns but the “circulation system” of the national economy.

Oyesiku, who was represented by the Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University, Prof Ogochukwu Ogomma, said fragmentation, insecurity, high costs and unreliability in the transport system ultimately imposed additional costs on households and businesses.

According to him, Nigeria needs more than isolated infrastructure projects.

“We need an integrated system in which road, rail, aviation, maritime transport, inland waterways, ports, terminals, logistics hubs and last-mile services reinforce one another,” he said.

He added that an efficient transport system would reduce costs, strengthen productivity, widen market access and create opportunities for businesses and workers.

“We also need infrastructure that can withstand climate change, institutions that coordinate effectively, technology that improves visibility and accountability, and a skilled workforce that can manage a rapidly changing industry,” he said.

Oyesiku said the conference, themed ‘Transforming Nigeria’s Transport and Logistics System for Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Infrastructure’, had been deliberately structured as a solution-focused gathering.

He said it would bring policymakers into direct engagement with regulators, operators, investors, academics, technology providers, development partners, students and young professionals.

The objective, he said, was not simply to restate familiar problems but to identify priorities, clarify responsibilities and build partnerships capable of moving credible ideas towards implementation.