By Onu Okorie

Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors to develop an efficient and integrated transportation system capable of driving Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Umahi, who was represented by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, made the call in Abuja at the 19th National Council on Transportation, themed, “Developing Effective Transportation Systems for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”
Goronyo described roads and bridges as essential lifelines of trade, commerce and human mobility, stressing that durable road networks were critical to connecting rural agricultural communities with urban markets, seaports and rail terminals.
He said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was giving unprecedented attention to infrastructure development through substantial investments and innovative financing mechanisms.
The minister highlighted four major legacy road projects being undertaken across the six geopolitical zones — the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Trans-Sahara Highway and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri-Yola corridor, with a spur from Jos to Ibi in Taraba State.
According to him, the projects were conceived not merely as road construction initiatives but as strategic investments aimed at improving connectivity, stimulating commerce, creating jobs and strengthening national integration.
He added that the projects incorporated environmentally friendly technologies and infrastructure, 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, which he said would enable Nigeria to earn carbon credits.
Goronyo said completing the projects would ease transportation across the country, enable farmers to move produce to markets more quickly, improve industrial access to raw materials and markets, and provide safer and more comfortable movement for Nigerians.
He also disclosed that the Ministry of Works was embracing rigid pavement technology to construct more durable roads capable of withstanding heavy traffic and high water tables, thereby reducing road failures.
The minister noted that the approach was particularly necessary because of the pressure exerted on the nation’s roads by heavy-duty vehicles, stressing that efficient rail transportation would complement the road network by moving a substantial portion of heavy freight.
Goronyo also urged Nigerians to protect public infrastructure, warning against vandalism and theft of road and bridge furniture and other critical assets.
He called on communities to take ownership of infrastructure located in their areas and support government agencies in safeguarding public assets.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, commended the Federal Government for the resources being committed to road infrastructure under the Tinubu administration.
Aliero described road infrastructure as critical to national development, noting that sustainable economic growth could not be achieved without an efficient road network.
He said the theme of the council was timely, as it provided an opportunity for stakeholders in land, water and air transportation to harmonise policies and develop a sustainable intermodal transportation strategy.
He assured that the National Assembly would continue to support initiatives aimed at building a reliable and efficient transport network across the country.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Idi, who represented the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said the administration had recorded significant progress in the aviation sector.
He listed improved aviation safety and security, infrastructure upgrades, support for local airlines, human-capacity development, stronger regulatory frameworks and efforts to position Nigeria as a regional aviation hub among the administration’s priorities.
Idi disclosed that Nigeria recorded an Effective Implementation score of 91.45 per cent in the April 2026 International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Safety Audit, describing the result as a significant milestone.
He added that the government was reviewing and strengthening Bilateral Air Service Agreements with strategic international partners to improve connectivity, facilitate trade and tourism, attract investment and create employment opportunities.
He stressed that the ultimate measure of aviation-sector success would be its ability to translate policies into jobs, investment, trade, tourism, affordable connectivity, increased cargo capacity and sustainable economic growth.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, FNSE, said the ministry was working to strengthen enforcement mechanisms through technology to ensure that traffic offences were properly captured and sanctioned.
Adebiyi explained that the proposed technological systems would enable authorities to identify vehicles and drivers involved in traffic offences and facilitate prompt enforcement of penalties.
He said the objective was to ensure that offenders could not easily evade penalties while maintaining due process before sanctions were imposed.
A representative of Global Foremost Impressions Ltd., Prof. Emmanuel Chijioke Ogbonna, described the integrated transportation model being promoted by the Federal Government as innovative and transformative.
Ogbonna said the council provided valuable insights into how integrating road, rail and other modes of transportation could address Nigeria’s transport challenges.