It took 33 years, but Nigeria finally has a National Transport Policy — and the man who once ran the country's road safety agency says it's already reshaping how the sector works.
Boboye Oyeyemi, a former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), told Persecondnews on Monday that the policy's approval marks a turning point. He spoke after the signing of a deal between the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited to create a Smart National Transport Databank (S-NTDB).
“I must commend the Federal Government and stakeholders for finally approving the National Transport Policy after 33 years. That alone is a major milestone that has set the direction for everything we are doing today,” Oyeyemi said.
For decades, Nigeria's transport sector operated in silos. Road, rail, aviation, maritime, inland waterways, and pipelines each planned separately, with little coordination. The new policy provides a single framework for integrating all modes.
“For decades, Nigeria’s transport sector has operated in silos, with fragmented planning and weak coordination across the different modes of transportation.”
The Smart National Transport Databank is the next phase. It aims to solve a chronic problem: data inconsistency. Until now, there wasn't a unified system for transport data. The databank will collect and harmonise information from every transport mode — road, rail, aviation, maritime, inland waterways, pipelines, logistics, and freight — into one central system.
“This is the beginning of a new transport intelligence architecture that will bring all modes of transportation into a single, unified data system,” Oyeyemi said.
He explained that the databank will improve national planning, safety monitoring, logistics coordination, and decision-making by providing real-time, reliable data. For the first time, Nigeria will have structured data to drive transport decisions.
But Oyeyemi warned that sustainability depends on strong legal and institutional backing. Nigeria has a history of policy discontinuity — successive governments often abandon or alter the plans of their predecessors.
“One of our major challenges in Nigeria has always been policy discontinuity. That's why we must strengthen the legal framework around this initiative so it can stand the test of time,” he said.
He also noted that international development partners, including the World Bank, have consistently stressed the importance of credible national data systems for effective planning and economic growth. Reliable transport data, he said, would improve infrastructure planning, strengthen logistics, support safety interventions, and enhance government decisions.
“Transportation planning can't be effective without credible data. Once decisions are based on information that can't be verified, it creates problems. This initiative will help ensure that planning is driven by facts rather than assumptions,” he added.
Oyeyemi commended NITT for driving the project, describing it as a strategic intervention that will redefine transport planning and management in Nigeria. He expressed optimism that the databank will accelerate the country's transition to a modern, integrated, data-driven transport system capable of supporting sustainable economic growth.
The National Transport Policy was first conceived in the early 1990s but remained in draft form for 33 years. Its approval, combined with the new databank, signals that the government is serious about reforming the sector — though the real test will be implementation and continuity.