Nigeria’s continued dependence on road transportation for the movement of passengers and goods is undermining economic growth, increasing business costs and worsening inflationary pressures, a transportation expert, Prof. Samuel Odewumi, has said.

Odewumi, who is the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, in an interview with The Guardian, lamented that more than 80 per cent of cargo movement in Nigeria is by road, placing enormous pressure on highways and accelerating infrastructure deterioration.

He explained that one of the biggest challenges confronting the economy was the lack of effective integration among the various modes of transportation.

According to him, seaports, railways, inland waterways, airports and road networks are expected to function as a seamless logistics chain. But he regretted that in Nigeria, all the modes largely operate independently of one another.

Odewumi, a professor of transport planning and policy, pointed out that rail connections to major seaports remained inadequate, that inland dry ports were grossly underutilised, and that water transport infrastructure was yet to be fully developed, limiting the country’s ability to maximise the benefits of a multimodal transport system.

The transportation expert also identified port congestion as a major obstacle to efficient intermodal operations.

He cited delays in cargo clearance, cumbersome customs procedures, multiple checkpoints and inefficient terminal operations as factors that increase turnaround time and reduce productivity across the supply chain.

He said: “Apapa port corridor in Lagos remains a classic example of how poor traffic management and inadequate infrastructure can cripple logistics efficiency.”

Beyond infrastructure deficits, Odewumi mentioned insecurity along transport corridors, rising fuel costs, expensive vehicle maintenance, inadequate warehousing facilities, limited adoption of digital logistics technologies and overlapping regulatory functions among government agencies as additional constraints hampering the sector.

He also criticised policy inconsistency and the lack of a maintenance culture, warning that infrastructure projects are often initiated without adequate long-term planning for sustainability, connectivity and operational efficiency.

According to him, the cumulative effect of these challenges is a significant increase in the cost of doing business in Nigeria.

“When goods spend excessive time in transit because of bad roads, traffic congestion, port delays or weak rail connectivity, transportation costs rise sharply. Businesses eventually pass these additional costs to consumers through higher prices of goods and services,” he explained.

The transport expert stressed that improving transportation and logistics infrastructure could deliver far-reaching economic benefits for the country.

He declared that efficient transport systems would reduce the cost of moving goods and people, help curb inflation, improve productivity and support industrial expansion.

Odewumi added that a properly integrated multimodal transport network would strengthen Nigeria’s position in regional and international trade, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) initiative.

“With efficient rail links to ports, functional inland waterways, modern highways and improved cargo-handling systems, Nigeria has the potential to emerge as a major logistics and distribution hub in West Africa,” he added.

The don also noted that improved transportation infrastructure would attract investments, create jobs and boost government revenue.

He explained that construction and maintenance projects would generate employment opportunities, while efficient supply chains would drive growth in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and e-commerce.

He added that rural communities would particularly benefit through improved access to markets, healthcare services, education and other economic opportunities.

Odewumi therefore called for the development of a coordinated national multimodal transport framework, arguing that until Nigeria embraced a fully integrated transportation system, logistics efficiency would remain below global standards and continue to constrain economic development.