Transport
From The Report: Nigeria 2017
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With Africa’s largest economy and its biggest population, Nigeria’s growth potential has been widely reported; however, long-term bottlenecks have prevented the country from realising that potential. The transport sector has been identified over the years as one of those bottlenecks. As a result of decades of poor maintenance and underinvestment in new capacity, the sector is marked by congestion, inefficiency and high overheads. Therefore, transport infrastructure and the logistics sector were identified as key elements of the March 2017 Economic Growth and Recovery Plan – President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategy for the country’s post-recession development. Officials have stated that public sector spending alone cannot address all of the challenges facing the sector, however, leading to a shift towards improving the business environment in order to attract new private investment in rolling stock, infrastructure and facility management.

This chapter contains interviews with Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation; and Hadiza Bala Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

In for the long haul: Structural reforms are set to encourage private investment
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With Africa’s largest economy and its biggest population, Nigeria’s growth potential has been widely reported; however, long-term bottlenecks have prevented the country from realising that potential. The transport sector has been identified over the years as one of those bottlenecks. As a result of decades of poor maintenance and underinvestment in new capacity, the sector is marked by congestion, inefficiency and high overheads. Therefore, transport infrastructure and the logistics sector…

Analysis

Full steam ahead: Rail master plan to connect the country and boost efficiency
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Long-awaited modern rail services in Nigeria have finally begun to pick up momentum since 2016. Construction of a new standard-gauge corridor linking Lagos in the south to Kano in the north is under way, with the first section connecting Abuja and Kaduna opening in July 2016. The cross-country project represents one step towards offering locals greater transport options and alleviating the considerable logistics bottlenecks that have led to inflated costs and slower growth. Due to the ageing…

Analysis

Moving together: Mass transport options aim to ease traffic congestion in Lagos
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There are a wide variety of urban mass transit options in Nigeria, with many of these services privately run. Options in large cities include regular taxis, ride-sharing services, motorcycle cabs, rickshaws and minibus services. However, when it comes to public transport, the choices and routes are more limited. There are some public services in the country, such as Lagos’ LAGBUS, which commenced operations in 2007, and now oversees a network of approximately 500 buses offering 40 different…

Interview

In full flight: Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation, on the recent renovation of Abuja’s airport and a look at upcoming projects
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Interview:Hadi Sirika What were the biggest challenges involved in the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport renovation? HADI SIRIKA: There were quite a few challenges, beginning with the fact that it was not a proper procurement, but rather an emergency one. Appointing the right consultant for the project, understanding the enormity of the failure at the runway and selecting the right contractors were all major challenges. Shutting down an airport and all of its activities, especially in…

Interview

Facilitating flow: Hadiza Bala Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, on improving infrastructure and operations
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Interview: Hadiza Bala Usman What are the top priorities in terms of improving the capacity of Nigeria’s port infrastructure? HADIZA BALAUSMAN: We need to improve our operational efficiency to ensure our infrastructure is able to meet the needs of investors coming to the country. We have noticed areas of channel management that require development, and we have channel designs in the Lagos Pilotage District that we are looking to expand. We are also considering channel depths and innovations…