The federal government, Monday took a major step towards modernising Nigeria’s transportation sector with the signing of a concession agreement for the implementation of the Smart National Transport Data Bank (S-NTDB) project.
The agreement was signed in Abuja between the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited (AAI), marking the commencement of what stakeholders described as a transformative initiative for transport governance, planning, security and infrastructure development across the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Chairman of the occasion, Boboye Oyeyemi, described the project as a defining milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards intelligent, data-driven and technology-enabled transport governance.
Oyeyemi stated that the project represented the foundation of a new national transport intelligence architecture that will integrate real-time data from all modes of transportation, including road, rail, aviation, maritime, inland waterways and pipelines.
According to him, Today is not merely another ceremonial event on Nigeria’s transport calendar. It represents a defining milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards intelligent, data-driven, integrated and technology-enabled transport governance.”
He noted that for decades, Nigeria’s transport sector had been hampered by fragmented data systems, weak transport intelligence and poor coordination, resulting in inefficient planning, inadequate safety interventions, traffic congestion and revenue leakages.
Oyeyemi added: “The S-NTDB is Nigeria’s first fully integrated, multimodal, real-time national transport intelligence platform. This is revolutionary and will significantly improve transport planning, logistics efficiency, safety and economic productivity.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approving both the National Transport Policy and the implementation framework for the Smart National Transport Data Bank project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funsho Adebiyi, the Director of Legal Services in the ministry, Olusegun Omotola said the project reflects the government’s commitment to building a modern, intelligent and secure transportation system.
He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved the project after extensive technical, financial and regulatory assessments, expressing confidence in its potential to transform transportation planning and management nationwide.
“The project will be implemented under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) model, with Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited serving as the private sector partner,” he noted.
Omotola explained that the project would include the deployment of 250 solar-powered smart gantries across strategic locations nationwide, establishment of traffic management centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, development of a central national data centre and deployment of RFID-enabled smart e-tag technology for vehicle identification and monitoring.
“The benefits of the project are substantial. It will strengthen evidence-based policymaking, improve traffic management, enhance road safety, reduce revenue leakages, support national security objectives and contribute significantly to the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda,” he said.
In his address, the Director-General of NITT, Dr. Bayero Farah described the project as a landmark initiative that would provide Nigeria with a single integrated real-time source of transport and mobility data.
He said the Smart National Transport Data Bank would transform how transport information is collected, analysed, shared and utilised for national development.
Farah explained that the project originated from a resolution adopted at the 12th National Council on Transport held in Makurdi, Benue State, in 2012, which directed the establishment of a national transport databank.
He noted that NITT, as Nigeria’s Transport Intelligence Centre and custodian of the National Transport Data Bank, had since undertaken extensive stakeholder consultations, technical studies and regulatory engagements that culminated in the project’s approval by the Federal Executive Council.