An Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo and Professor of Transport Planning and Policy at Lagos State University (LASU), Samuel Odewumi, has called for stricter penalties against perpetrators and buyers of vandalised transport infrastructure, warning that weak surveillance and the lucrative scrap-metal market are fuelling the menace.

Odewumi made the call against the backdrop of discussions at the ongoing National Council on Transportation (NCT), where the issue of vandalism of rail and road infrastructure has featured prominently.

He said the persistence of vandalism was not primarily due to the absence of security agencies, but rather a deeper societal problem characterised by the erosion of values and patriotism.

“We are currently at the National Council on Transportation, and this matter is very topical; we are recommending stricter penalties for the seller and buyer of these items,” Odewumi said.

According to him, participants from China informed stakeholders that vandalism of critical infrastructure attracts the death penalty in the country, highlighting the need for Nigeria to strengthen its deterrent measures.

“The problem is not the absence of security agencies, but a deepening decadence of loss of our values as a society. Complete absence of patriotism or simply stupid hatred for the country by a very few but impactfully injurious set of people,” he said.

Odewumi described the situation as a “horrifying reality”, noting that attacks on public infrastructure ultimately undermine the prosperity and security of the wider population. “It is like birds scattering their own nests,” he said.

He stressed that security agencies could not be physically present across Nigeria’s extensive transport corridors, making community participation and technology essential to tackling the problem.

“Security cannot be everywhere; although more intelligence gathering and brutal enforcement may help, there must be a value reorientation. Communities must be sensitised to be alert and not tolerate the perpetrators in their midst,” he said.

Odewumi identified the extensive nature of transport corridors, weak surveillance and organised scrap-metal networks as key factors sustaining infrastructure vandalism.

He added that slow prosecution of offenders and possible collaboration by insiders had further made the crime profitable and relatively low-risk.

₦100bn annual direct loss

The transport expert estimated that Nigeria could be losing between ₦50 billion and ₦100 billion annually in direct losses from transport infrastructure vandalism, although he noted that there was no audited national figure specifically covering the sector.

“When service disruptions, accidents, congestion, and revenue losses are included, the wider economic cost could reach several hundred billion naira,” he said.

Odewumi noted that published estimates had placed broader infrastructure-vandalism losses at about ₦76 billion annually, while an Abuja study reportedly put losses in that area at ₦4.7 billion.

However, he said the economic calculations did not adequately capture the human cost of vandalism.

“But what value can you put on the loss of lives caused by these vandals?” he asked.

To address the challenge, Odewumi advocated dedicated security units for major transport corridors, backed by modern surveillance and intelligence-gathering technologies.

He recommended the deployment of drones, CCTV cameras, tamper sensors, community informants and rapid-response teams to monitor vulnerable infrastructure.

He also called for tighter regulation of the scrap-metal trade, insisting that dealers should be licensed and monitored.

“Buyers, sponsors and collaborating officials—not merely the vandals—must face swift prosecution,” he said.

Odewumi further urged the government to make security and maintenance integral components of transport infrastructure projects, rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

“Every major transport project should also include a funded security and maintenance plan,” he said.