The Federal Government has called for closer cooperation among the road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors to build an integrated transport system capable of accelerating Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Minister of State for Works Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who represented the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, made the call on Wednesday at the 19th National Council on Transportation in Abuja.
The council was held under the theme, “Developing Effective Transportation Systems for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”
Goronyo described roads and bridges as the lifelines of trade, commerce and mobility, saying durable road networks were essential to connecting rural farming communities with urban markets, seaports and rail terminals.
He said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was placing unprecedented emphasis on infrastructure development through
major investments and innovative financing models.
At the centre of the government’s road strategy are four legacy projects spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones: the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway; the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway; the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja, or Trans-Sahara, Highway; and the Akwanga-JosBauchi- Gombe-Maiduguri-Yola corridor, including a spur from Jos to Ibi in Taraba State.
According to Goronyo, the projects go beyond road construction. They are designed to improve national connectivity, expand commerce, create jobs and strengthen national integration.
Their environmental features—including the use of cement in place of asphalt,
dams for irrigation and renewable energy, solar-powered street lighting and windmill technology along the littoral corridor—could also help Nigeria earn carbon credits.
He said the completed projects would help farmers move produce to markets more quickly, give industries better access to raw materials and consumers, and make travel safer and more comfortable.
The ministry, he added, was adopting rigid pavement technology to produce roads capable of handling heavy traffic and high water tables while reducing road failures.
Goronyo stressed that rail transport would be critical to easing the pressure heavy-duty vehicles place on the nation’s roads by carrying a significant share of freight.
He also urged Nigerians to protect public infrastructure, warning against the vandalism and theft of road and bridge furniture and other critical assets.
Communities, he said, must take ownership of infrastructure in their areas and support government agencies in.safeguarding it.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, commended the resources being committed to road development, describing reliable roads as indispensable to sustainable economic growth.
He said the council offered stakeholders in land, water and air transport an important opportunity to harmonise policies and develop a sustainable intermodal strategy.
Representing the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Abdullahi Idi, said Nigeria’s aviation sector had recorded progress in safety, infrastructure, local airline support, human-capacity development and regulatory reform.
He disclosed that Nigeria achieved an Effective Implementation score of 91.45 per cent in the April 2026 International Civil Aviation Organization safety audit.
The government was also reviewing bilateral air service agreements with strategic international partners to improve connectivity, trade and tourism, attract investment and create jobs.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi said the ministry was developing technology -driven enforcement systems to identify vehicles and drivers involved in traffic offences and ensure that penalties were applied promptly and in accordance with due process.
The proposed system, he said, would improve compliance, road safety and responsible driving by making it harder for offenders to evade sanctions.
Prof. Emmanuel Chijioke Ogbonna of Global Foremost Impressions Ltd. described the integrated transport model as innovative and transformative.
He expressed optimism that effective implementation would produce a more efficient, affordable, safe and seamless
transport system.
The council brought together stakeholders from the road, rail, aviation, maritime and related sectors.
At its conclusion, participants reaffirmed commitment to greater collaboration, strategic investment and coordinated policy implementation to support economic growth, national integration and a better quality of life for Nigerians.
