The Federal Government has taken a major step towards establishing a centralised national transport data system with the inauguration of a committee to implement the Smart National Transport Databank (SNTDB) Public-Private Partnership project.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi, inaugurated the committee in Abuja according to a statement made available on Wednesday by Osima Seddon for the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations.
The initiative followed the Federal Executive Council’s recent approval of the SNTDB, a digital transport intelligence platform designed to provide real-time and integrated data for the country’s transport sector.
Speaking at the event, Adebiyi said the project would help resolve persistent challenges in the collection, coordination and accessibility of transport data.
He said, “the initiative is aimed at addressing the longstanding gaps in transport data collection, coordination and accessibility, while strengthening evidence-based planning and investment across the sector.”
The Permanent Secretary recalled that the SNTDB was approved at the 12th National Council on Transportation in 2012, with the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) given the responsibility of establishing the databank under the Ministry’s supervision.
He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council had now approved the project for implementation under a 20-year Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) concession to Asia-Arab Investment Nigeria Limited.
Adebiyi said the newly inaugurated committee would ensure that the project was implemented in accordance with the concession agreement, approved Full Business Case and relevant laws.
The committee, which he chairs, comprises representatives of the Ministry of Transportation, NITT, Federal Road Safety Corps, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Works, Office of the National Security Adviser and the concessionaire.
Its responsibilities include monitoring project milestones, coordinating participating agencies, managing risks and implementation challenges, and ensuring financial and governance accountability.
The committee will also submit periodic reports on the progress of the project.
Also speaking, the Director-General and Chief Executive of NITT, Dr. Bayero Farah, said the databank would serve as a strategic national infrastructure for transport intelligence.
Farah described the SNTDB as “a national transport intelligence infrastructure designed to support planning, regulation, safety, security, infrastructure development and evidence-based decision-making.”
According to him, the project will include at least 250 solar-powered intelligent gantries fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technologies.
He added that Traffic Management Centres would be established in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside a Main Data Centre and an Electronic Tagging (E-Tag) ecosystem.
Other components include database integration, real-time analytics and cybersecurity systems, which will be deployed in phases.
The Ministry said the project would provide the policy and institutional leadership required for its successful implementation, while NITT would be responsible for contract management and protection of the Federal Government’s interests.
It said the ultimate goal was to deliver a secure and nationally integrated transport intelligence system capable of providing reliable data for government, transport operators and the Nigerian public.
