The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration across road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors to build an efficient multimodal transportation system that can drive Nigeria’s economic transformation.
The call was made by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who represented the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, at the 19th National Council on Transportation in Abuja.
The Council, themed “Developing Effective Transportation Systems for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation,” brought together stakeholders from land, air, water and rail transport to harmonise policies for a seamless transport network.
Goronyo described roads and bridges as “essential lifelines of trade, commerce, and human mobility,” noting that durable road networks connect rural communities to urban markets, seaports and rail terminals.
In a statement by Mohammed A. Ahmed, Director, Information and Public Relations, he said the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was prioritizing infrastructure through substantial investments and innovative financing.
The Minister highlighted four major “legacy projects” cutting across the six geopolitical zones:
1. Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
2. Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway
3. Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Trans-Sahara Highway
4.Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri-Yola corridor, with a spur from Jos to Ibi, Taraba State.
According to him, the projects go beyond road construction.
“They are strategic investments designed to promote connectivity, stimulate commerce, create employment and strengthen national integration,” Goronyo said.
He added that the projects would also earn carbon credits through the use of environmentally friendly cement instead of asphalt, construction of dams for irrigation and renewable energy, solar-powered street lighting, and windmill technology along the coastal corridor.
The Ministry, he said, is also adopting rigid pavement technology to build roads that can withstand heavy traffic and high water tables. Rail, he noted, must complement roads by taking on more heavy freight.
Goronyo urged Nigerians to guard against vandalism and theft of road and bridge furniture, calling on communities to take ownership of infrastructure in their areas.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, commended the Federal Government’s investment in roads, describing good road networks as critical to sustainable economic growth.
He pledged National Assembly support for initiatives to build a reliable transport network.
Representing the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Abdullahi Idi, said Nigeria recorded a 91.45% Effective Implementation score in the April 2026 ICAO Safety Audit.
He added that government was reviewing Bilateral Air Service Agreements to improve connectivity, trade, tourism and jobs.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, disclosed plans to leverage technology to strengthen enforcement of traffic offences, ensuring offenders are identified and sanctioned promptly.
A representative of Global Foremost Impressions Ltd., Prof. Emmanuel Chijioke Ogbonna, described the integrated transport model as “innovative and transformative,” expressing optimism that effective implementation would deliver a safer, more affordable and seamless system.
The Council reaffirmed stakeholders’ commitment to collaboration, strategic investment and coordinated policy to build a transport system that supports economic growth, national integration and improved quality of life.