…industry stakeholders seek 10-year transit infrastructure plan, secure transport corridors, locally assembled CNG, electric buses
Nigeria must move beyond its traditional focus on road construction to developing integrated public transportation systems capable of addressing the country’s persistent road safety, security and sustainability challenges, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said.
The Chamber also called for a 10-year dedicated public transit infrastructure plan, mandatory security technologies in commercial vehicles and a national fleet renewal programme involving the local assembly of 10,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric buses.
Chairman of the LCCI Auto and Automotive Components Sectoral Group, Dr. Femi Eguaikhide, made the recommendations while delivering the legacy lecture at Julie Chi-Nwaoha’s 30 years of automotive journalism.
Speaking on the theme, “Improving Public Transportation Infrastructure for Road Safety, Security and sustainability”, Eguaikhide, who is also Deputy Managing Director of RT Briscoe Nigeria Plc, argued that Nigeria’s transportation challenges were rooted not simply in inadequate roads but in the absence of an integrated public transport infrastructure.
According to him, the country has continued to import fairly-used buses and undertake road repairs three decades after the emergence of On The Highway, without making commensurate progress in developing interconnected transport systems.
“30 years later, we are still importing fairly-used buses and still patching potholes, only with more traffic”, he said, lamenting that governments had celebrated road construction without giving sufficient attention to the development of comprehensive transportation systems.
He maintained that an effective public transport system must connect different modes and services, allowing commuters to move seamlessly between buses, rail and last-mile transportation through integrated terminals and payment platforms.
Using Lagos as an example, he described a system in which commuters could travel from Ikorodu on a CNG-powered Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, connect to the Blue Line at Marina and continue their journeys through last-mile services using a single Cowry card.
He said such an arrangement, supported by clean, well-lit and secure interchange terminals, would reduce dependence on private vehicles, improve commuter convenience and enhance road safety.
To achieve this, Eguaikhide urged the Federal and State Governments to approve a 10-year Dedicated Public Transit Infrastructure Plan, proposing 1,000 kilometres of dedicated public transport lanes and 50 modern interchange hubs across Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu, with private-sector participation.
He cited global data indicating that dedicated BRT lanes could reduce road accidents by between 30 and 35 per cent, noting that Lagos had demonstrated the potential of dedicated transit infrastructure.
On transportation security, the LCCI official argued that security should be treated as an integral component of infrastructure development rather than an issue to be addressed solely through conventional policing.
He said insecurity, cargo diversion and unsafe transport corridors were imposing significant economic losses on businesses, citing an estimated annual loss of more than ₦15 trillion among LCCI member organisations, including manufacturers, road transport operators and logistics companies.
According to him, a sustainable transport environment cannot exist where commercial drivers are afraid to operate at night or commuters, particularly women, feel unsafe waiting at bus stops after dark.
He advocated the deployment of smart terminals equipped with CCTV cameras and adequate lighting, compulsory GPS tracking and panic buttons in commercial buses, and cashless fare collection systems to strengthen passenger security.
He also proposed the establishment of a National Secure Corridor Command linking the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police and private fleet operators to improve intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to security threats along major transport routes.
As part of the proposed measures, he called for mandatory GPS tracking and speed limiters in all public transport vehicles with seating capacity above 18 passengers, alongside tax incentives for operators adopting cashless ticketing systems.
On sustainability, Eguaikhide identified CNG and electric mobility as critical to reducing public transport operating costs, conserving foreign exchange and stimulating local automotive manufacturing.
He argued that the transition should be driven by economic considerations and the need to develop domestic industrial capacity, rather than merely following global environmental trends.
Providing a cost comparison, he said a diesel-powered BRT bus could consume approximately ₦18 million worth of fuel annually, compared with about ₦6 million for a CNG-powered equivalent, representing an estimated annual saving of ₦12 million per bus.
He explained that deploying 10,000 such buses could potentially generate annual fuel savings of ₦120 billion, while creating employment opportunities in gas conversion, vehicle assembly and associated industries.
While commending the Presidential CNG Initiative, he stressed the need for supporting infrastructure, including mother and daughter gas stations, conversion centres and facilities for local bus assembly.
He consequently proposed a five-year National Public Fleet Renewal Programme targeting the local assembly of 10,000 CNG and electric buses.
The proposal also includes a five-year import duty waiver on completely knocked-down (CKD) vehicle assembly kits and access to single-digit financing for transport operators to encourage investment in locally assembled fleets.
Eguaikhide said the success of Nigeria’s public transportation transformation would depend on effective collaboration among government, the private sector and the media, stressing that policy formulation must be matched with investment and implementation.
“Government has policy. Private sector has capital and vehicles. Media has the voice. Let LCCI be the bridge that brings us together”, he said.
He added that Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy would require efficient public transportation systems rather than an increasing number of private vehicles.
Earlier, Chi-Nwaoha, in her anniversary address, described the 30-year journey of On The Highway Africa as an evolution from conventional automotive reporting into sustained engagement with the wider transportation ecosystem.
She said her understanding of the industry had developed around four interconnected pillars: People, Products, Places and Policies, which she described as the foundation of the platform’s editorial and industry engagement activities.
According to her, the people constitute the industry’s human capital, the products represent its vehicles and equipment, the places encompass highways, transport hubs and commercial centres, while policies shape the direction and performance of the sector.
Tracing her professional journey from OGBC 2 FM through Lagos Television and NTA 2 Channel 5, where she anchored On Wheels, Chi-Nwaoha said the programme subsequently evolved into On The Highway Africa and later JCN Consulting, providing a platform for sustained engagement with the automotive and transport industries.
She recalled that her induction as a Celebrity Special Marshal by the FRSC was a defining moment that expanded her role from automotive journalism to road safety advocacy and emergency response.
The experience, she said, exposed her to the human consequences of road crashes, including attending to accident victims on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at midnight and supporting families who lost their breadwinners to preventable road accidents.
She described the experience as a reminder that road safety advocacy was a responsibility of service rather than glamour, reinforcing the platform’s guiding principle, “Safety and Security First”.
Chi-Nwaoha also acknowledged the contributions of industry leaders, government institutions, corporate organisations and individuals who supported her professional journey, particularly at a time when female journalists faced considerable challenges gaining access to the automotive industry.
Among those she recognised were Chief Michael Ade-Ojo of Elizade Toyota, Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson, Dr. Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group, Chief Frank Nneji of ABC Transport, former Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Aminu Jalal, Adetunji Oyebanji, and Steve Ezediokwere of 11 Plc, alongside several other industry stakeholders.
She also acknowledged the contributions of partners and sponsors, including Lanre Shittu Motors, Iron Products (Yutong), Centricmasters (JIM Isuzu), NEWERA Autovehicle (Jetour), Nord, Mikano Motors, TATA, TotalEnergies, MRS and Oando, as well as drivers, mechanics and Special Marshals.
Highlighting emerging opportunities in the automotive industry, she said the CNG transition, electric vehicle disruption and renewed investments were creating fresh prospects for market growth.
She expressed optimism that the industry was entering another phase of development, adding that the 30-year milestone represented not an endpoint but the beginning of greater opportunities.
The anniversary celebration, which brought together industry leaders, regulators, automotive executives and media practitioners, featured the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, and the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Joseph Osanipin, among other distinguished guests.
The event underscored the need to move Nigeria’s transport conversation beyond vehicle ownership and road construction towards integrated infrastructure, safer mobility, local automotive production and policies capable of delivering long-term economic value.