The Federal government has disclosed that the road transportation sector facilitates the movement of goods and services worth about N157 trillion yearly.

The government said that this underscored the important role road transportation plays in the economic development of the country.

The Technical Adviser on Transportation, Logistics and Innovation to the Vice President, Segun Obayendo, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at the 2026 Transport Correspondents Association of Nigeria (TCAN) summit held in Lagos with the theme: ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Economic Growth Through Transportation Logistics.’

Obayendo explained that the huge economic value attached to transportation required governments at all levels to make the sector a central component of economic planning.

According to Obayendo, the sheer volume of economic activity dependent on road transportation should make the sector a priority for government at all levels.

He said: “We have a sector that is responsible for the movement of goods and services worth N157 trillion, it’s a particular sector. It’s moving and taking care of N157 trillion. Which sector should be most important to any government?

“I’m not being biased because I’m into the sector. It should be transportation. It should be transportation that should be most critical to any local government, any state government, any federal government.”

According to him, transportation should no longer be viewed just as a support service for moving people and commodities, rather as a critical factor of production.

He explained that the economic value of production could be undermined if finished goods, raw materials and other commodities could not be moved efficiently from their points of origin to their intended destinations.

Also, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the Federal government was implementing measures to modernise the nation’s major ports.

Oyetola who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Inland Transport Services, Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA), Paul Garnuwa,

said the modernisation of Apapa Port for instance, would involve the reconstruction of quay walls, deepening of port channels to accommodate larger vessels, replacement of obsolete cargo-handling equipment and further digitalisation of terminal and gate operations.

According to him, the measures were designed to increase port capacity, improve vessel turnaround time and cargo handling, and enhance the competitiveness of Nigeria’s maritime gateways.

Oyetola said the efficiency of the ports had implications beyond the maritime industry, stressing that delays at the ports could affect manufacturers waiting for raw materials, exporters waiting for vessels, transport operators, distributors and ultimately consumers.

He further emphasised that Nigeria’s ports had recorded improvements in global rankings.

According to Oyetola, the 2025 Container Port Performance Index, produced by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, recognised Tin Can Island Port as 10th and Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, as 12th among the world’s 20 most improved container ports between 2020 and 2025.

He, however, stressed that continued investment and reforms would be required to sustain the improvements.

Oyetola further disclosed that the United States Coast Guard removed its Conditions of Entry on vessels arriving from Nigeria in August 2026 following measures taken to strengthen compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, improve access controls and address identified security gaps.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, expressed that road, rail, maritime, inland waterways and aviation must complement, rather than compete with one another.

Opeifa explained that transportation was a driver of productivity, trade, industrial development, employment and national competitiveness, rather than simply a means of moving people and goods.

He said rail transportation had a particularly important role to play because of its capacity to move large volumes of passengers and bulk freight over long distances.

According to him, improved rail connectivity could reduce pressure on Nigeria’s highways while facilitating the movement of agricultural produce, petroleum products, containers and other commodities.