Synergy In Transportation Sector, Backbone Of Nigeria’s Economic Development – Umahi
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi has called for a stronger collaboration amongst stakeholders in the road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors to develop an efficient, intermodal transportation system capable of driving Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Director, Information and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Ahmed said the Minister made the call on Wednesday 2 September, 2026 at the 19th National Council on Transportation with the theme, “Developing Effective Transportation Systems for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation,” held in Abuja.
Represented by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, he described roads and bridges as essential lifelines of trade, commerce, and human mobility, noting that robust, expanded, and durable road networks connect rural agricultural communities with urban markets, facilitate access to seaports and rail terminals, and enable mobility across the country.
Umahi said the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was giving unprecedented attention to infrastructure development through the Renewed Hope Agenda, with substantial investments and innovative financing mechanisms being deployed.
He highlighted the Federal Government’s major road infrastructure projects, particularly its four legacy projects, which cut across the six geopolitical zones.
These include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the 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.
He explained that the projects were designed not merely as road construction initiatives but as strategic investments that would promote connectivity, stimulate commerce, create employment opportunities, and strengthen national integration.
He said they were investments that would earn carbon credits for the country through the use of environmentally friendly cement instead of asphalt in construction, the building of dams for irrigation and renewable energy, solar-powered street lighting, and windmill technology along the littoral corridor.
According to him, the completion of the projects would significantly ease transportation across the geopolitical zones, enable farmers to move their produce to markets faster, improve industrial access to raw materials and markets, and provide safer and more comfortable movement for Nigerians.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, commended the Federal Government for the level of resources being committed to road infrastructure under President Tinubu.
He described road infrastructure as critical to national development, adding that no country achieved sustainable economic growth without a good road network.
He applauded the theme of the Council as timely, as it provided an opportunity for stakeholders in land, water and air transportation to harmonise policies and develop a sustainable intermodal transportation strategy for the country.
He assured that the National Assembly would continue to support initiatives aimed at developing a reliable and efficient transport network across the country.
Representing the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, at the Council, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Abdullahi Idi, highlighted significant progress recorded in Nigeria’s aviation sector under the present administration.
He stated that the administration had focused on improving aviation safety and security, upgrading infrastructure, supporting local airlines, developing human capacity, strengthening regulatory frameworks and enhancing Nigeria’s position as a regional aviation hub.
According to him, Nigeria recorded an Effective Implementation score of 91.45 per cent in the April 2026 ICAO Safety Audit, describing the result as a significant milestone for the sector.
He revealed that the administration was also reviewing and strengthening Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with strategic international partners to improve connectivity, facilitate trade and tourism, attract investment and create employment opportunities.
