Nigeria’s transport infrastructure remains a vital engine of national growth, yet its potential is far from fully realised, according to the organiser of the 2025 Transport Summit, Mrs. Pearl Ngwama. She said the sector, including maritime and aviation, jointly contributed over ₦130.75 trillion and ₦215.6 billion respectively to national output in 2024, reflecting strong trade and connectivity momentum.
Ngwama who gave the welcome address at the event, said Nigeria’s progress depends on converting these gains into sustainable growth. Speaking at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, she noted that Nigeria’s transport sector’s 6.53 percent GDP contribution in 2024, though commendable, remains below potential given the nation’s resources and geographic advantage.
“We have minerals and cash crops that can power industries. We have land, air, and sea transportation modes. Geographically, Nigeria sits at the heart of the Gulf of Guinea, one of Africa’s most strategic maritime zones,” she said.
According to data cited in her address, foreign trade through maritime transport rose by 91 percent year-on-year in 2024, from ₦68.44 trillion to ₦130.75 trillion, with exports accounting for nearly 60 percent of the total. The aviation sector, she added, contributed ₦215.6 billion to GDP, with Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt airports generating more than 70 percent of that figure.
In the rail sector, passenger numbers climbed to 929,553 in Q1 2025, up from 675,293 in 2024, while freight volumes reached 181,520 tons, signalling growing public confidence in rail transportation. Ngwama said these figures prove that Nigeria’s transport infrastructure has momentum and capacity but lacks a long-term framework to sustain growth.
“These numbers tell us we have potential, and therefore, work to do,” she said. “Our human capital will not thrive without enabling infrastructure. When transport infrastructure is weak, every other sector suffers.”
The summit, themed ‘Nigeria’s Transport Infrastructure: Innovation for a Sustainable Future’, brought together policymakers, regulators, and private players to chart new strategies for multimodal connectivity, where road, rail, air, and sea work together.
Ngwama explained that advanced economies thrive on integrated transport networks that reduce costs, expand markets, and boost competitiveness. She urged Nigeria to follow this path through better planning, sustainable financing, and technological innovation.
“Our ambition must be to move beyond quick fixes and stop-gap solutions,” she said. “We must build systems that are resilient, adaptive, and designed to last.”
She emphasised that the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offers a unique chance to reposition Nigeria’s transport infrastructure. Well-coordinated road and rail corridors, she said, should link rural farms with factories and ports, while airports should grow into regional hubs for both passengers and cargo.
“Our ports and shipping lanes already connect us to Europe, the Americas, and Southern Africa,” she said. “With the right investments, Nigeria could become the logistics capital of West and Central Africa.”
Ngwama added that green mobility, digital logistics, and smart infrastructure will determine Nigeria’s transportation competitiveness in the coming decade. “The global transportation industry is moving toward technology-driven systems. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind. We must innovate or risk economic isolation,” she warned.
She concluded by urging government and private players to turn dialogue into action. “Let this summit yield clear, practical outcomes and a roadmap for investment and policy that will shape the Nigeria we envision,” Ngwama said.
