road transportation system as a viable tool for economic development in nigeria

Nigerian Society of Engineers Annual Conference Proceedings “CANAAN 2011”


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e-mail: [email protected] GSM No. 08032630023

Abstract The aims and objectives of this study are to evaluate the structure of road transportation system in Nigeria, identify the problems that are confronting road transportation system and proffer solutions to the problems and highlight the contribution of road on nation building. The study evaluates the immense contribution of road transportation system towards stimulating productivity and all other economic activities in Nigeria that enhance social development objectives. The study concludes that without effective and efficient road transportation system in Nigeria all other economic activities would come to a halt. More so, going by the present poverty alleviation program of the government in meeting the Vision 20:2020, the role of road transportation system in the provision of job opportunities and invariably improving the standard of living of the people cannot be over emphasized. Introduction Some years ago and beyond before the 2011 NSE Conference Theme came out, that is, “Effective Transportation System in Nigeria – The Way Forward”, the basic question was: “Has Nigeria a road transportation system”? For some years past my own thinking was this: We hear of road transportation system in Nigeria planned and constructed or being planned and constructed by European, Asian and American. What of Nigerian planned and constructed roads? This motivated me to trace the history of Nigerian people and discover the following pertinent facts in this year’s Conference Theme. Nigeria, the largest country in Africa (The second largest and the most populous continent in the world after Asia) consists of great block of an ancient rock that has been little disturbed over two hundred million years, except for periodic uplift and erosions. From the most recent findings of archaeologists and paleontologists, it is evident that Nigeria is historically the most senior of the countries of the world in the sense of sustaining human life. In fact, man’s ancestors first become differentiated from the primates in Nigeria, via East Africa. The fossilized

remains of “homo habilis” and “homo erectus” who are the ancestors of man were found in Nigeria, via East Africa, near Victoria about two million years ago. From “homo erectus” developed “homo sapiens” (the wise man). By six to seven thousand years ago, the main racial types of human beings we have today were already settled down in Nigeria with roads and doing agriculture, manufacturing and livestock raising (E.M.P. Edeh, 2009)1. It should be noted that the archaeological findings do not contradict the biblical account of creation. The efforts of archaeologists and paleontologists are nothing but human attempts at pinpointing where and when God breathed life giving breath (the soul) into man’s nostril (cf. Gen. 2:7). This brief discussion on the genesis of man in Nigeria helps us to understand how deep and original is road, which is typified in Nigerian road transportation system history. Hence, proper road transportation system cannot be said to be borrowed from Europe, Asian or America. With due respect to the biblical account of creation of man by God, man has lived in Nigeria (Africa) from the earliest times. Thus it is right to say that road transportation system in Nigeria is as old as man. This knowledge of the ancient origin of Nigerians helps us to understand the source of road transportation system as a viable tool for economic development in Nigeria. If the roads had been borrowed from other people, the originality of certain road arteries and veins will be attributed more or less to Nigerians, depending on whether they were inherited from Nigerians or from the people from whom they migrated. The ancient origin of Nigerians helps us to comprehend the Nigerian identity which designates the Nigerians as a people of their own with centuries of socio-economic, cultural and political development, an ancient race and a unique capacity for economic development using road transportation system as a viable tool. A road transportation system may be defined as a thoroughfare, route or pathway on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance of goods and persons from one place to another. The elements or physical components of a transport system are referred to as the facilities. Road

ROAD TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AS A VIABLE TOOL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA.

JONES NWADIKE MNSE, MICE, MASCE, MNCS, KSM, MJS

SEAT OF WISDOM SCHOOLS, JAPAVISCA ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED YARD OFF PLOT 184 OLD PH – ABA EXPRESSWAY, MBANO CAMP JUNCTION, OYIGBO

RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.


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transportation system provides the connectivity that facilitates other societal interactions. The structural road design aims to ensure that the road is strong enough for the expected number of vehicles in a certain number of years. The input of a calculation is the number expected of vehicles (e.g. 10,000,000) divided in groups (e.g. trucks, vans, cars) and the number of years that the road has to function before the road structure has to be fully renewed (e.g. 20 years). Note that the given example of 20 years does not mean that there is no maintenance during this period. There is a certain amount of maintenance, but it can be scheduled and is low. Traditionally, the design is done by civil engineers, including soil and foundation engineers, structural engineers, the design of drainage systems and geometric design which is concerned with the physical proportioning of the elements. Economic development is a broad term that generally refers to the sustained, concerted effort of policy makers and community to promote the standard of living and economic health in a specific area. Such effort can involve multiple areas including development of human capital, critical infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy and other initiatives. It should be noted that economic development differs from economic growth, whereas economic development is a policy intervention endeavor with aims of economic and social well-being of people, economic growth is a phenomenon of market productivity and rise in Gross Domestic Product. Economic growth is one aspect of the process of economic development. Justification / Significance of the Study Little research is known to have been undertaken on the road transportation system as a viable tool for economic development in Nigeria. A study like the current one undertaken is therefore timely as it examined the viability, profitability or otherwise and economic development in the study area. The study aims at evaluating the immense contribution of road transportation system towards stimulating productivity and other economic activities in Nigeria. The role of transportation system in trade, manufacture, commerce and agriculture cannot be swept under the carpet because the movement of people and goods from one place to another is very important. Methods and Organization of the Study The study adopts exploratory method of research to examine and discuss relevant issues of interest in the

history of Nigeria road transportation system as a viable tool for economic development. Thus, the paper reviews existing literature on road transportation system in Nigeria. Because of the nature of the study (macro), the writer relies on published documents in the area of road transport system using commissioned studies, non-commissioned studies and published works from various sources. Some of these secondary sources are narrow in perspective and scope but they serve as useful materials for researchers wanting to embark on a macro-study. Others include library books, previous road works planned, designed and constructed by the author, detailed investigations done on roads by author, internet and articles from learned journals. During the study there was no case where anybody or scholar delved into discussing developing road equipment manufacturing industry in Nigeria as a viable tool for economic development. The study is organized in five (5) sections apart from the introduction, justification and methods of study. These are: road transportation system structure and development, road transportation system as a viable tool for socioeconomic development in Nigeria, problems of road transportation system development in Nigeria, suggestions for improvement and conclusion. Road Transportation System Structure and Development In the early 1900s the existing roads were widened, surfaced and developed into modern road transportation system essentially as a feeder network for the new railroads by British Colonial Officers. After the amalgamation of the two protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914 under the Governor-Generalship of Sir Frederick Lugard, the government established a basic grid of two North-South trunk roads from Lagos and Port Harcourt to Kano and several East-West roads, two North and two South of the natural division created by the Niger and Benue rivers. The roads were not fully developed until the advent of motor vehicles in the late 1920s and late 1930s. The end of Second World War (1945) actually marked the period when the country was served with adequate network of all season roads for lorry and passenger car traffic. According to Ogunbodede E.F. (2008)2, 3, the roads were designed, to serve two major objectives. First, they were meant to extend the commercial hinterlands opened up by the government railways by linking up the nearest urban centers with the major railway stations. The second was to reduce the strains thrown on the inland provinces in the provision of porters for the British Colonial Officers. The growth of road transportation


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was slowed down by the financial and labor constraints. However, the total length of road constructed and maintained by the government and native authorities rose to about 51,000km in 1946 and 74,000km in 1960 when the country became independent and a republic in 1963 after more than half a century of British rule2. According to Ogunbodede E.F. (2008), “the relics of British rule have since remained in every aspect of Nigeria life”. Prominent of such relics are road transportation, education and the pattern of governance in the country. In later decades, roads linked all parts, although the concentration of roads is much heavier in the two Southern Regions than in the more sparsely populated Northern Region. In 1978 an expressway was constructed from Lagos to Ibadan, and a branch from this route was later extended east to Benin City. Another expressway connected Port Harcourt with Enugu. In 1990 Nigeria had 108,000 kilometers of roads, of which 30,000 kilometers were paved, 25,000 kilometers were gravel, and the rest were unimproved earth2. Carrying 95% of all the nation's goods and passengers, the roads constituted by far the most important element in the transportation network. The poor maintenance and rehabilitation of these roads for past years due to civil war forced the government to shift its emphasis from constructing new roads to repairing existing ones.

Massive traffic jams were reported in most large cities, and there were long delays in the movement of goods. Safety standards were low in 1988 more than 30,000 accidents and 8,000 highway deaths were reported. In 1991 and 2003, the population of Nigeria stood at 88.9 and 150 millions respectively with a land area of about 923,773 km. The total kilometer of widened and surfaced road transportation system across Nigeria, were, 51,428km. Road transportation in Nigeria is classified into four (4) broad groups. Federal Roads or Trunk A – 8,800 km, this represented the skeleton on which the country’s road transportation system is built. This trunk represented the main North-South arteries and five East-West arteries. The Federal Road Trunk F - these were formerly under state ownership, but were taken over by the Federal Government, with a view to upgrading them to Federal highway standards. The Trunk B roads, of which there were 7,360 km, connected the provincial network with the skeleton trunk A road system. The trunk C, known as provincial roads of which there were 57,480kms form the main network linking up with other trunk roads in the country. Table 1 shows Nigeria roads by classification, surfacing and at state level as at 20034. Trunk D roads are those within rural-urban and are owned and managed by communities or companies operating within the environments5.

Table 1: Structure of Road Ownership Source: CBN Research Dept. Occasional Paper No. 27, 2003 Federal Roads State Roads L.G. Roads Total Percent Paved Main Roads 26,500 10,400 36,900 19 Unpaved Main Roads 5,600 20,100 25,700 13 Urban Roads 21,900 21,900 11 Main Rural Roads 72,800 72,800 38 Village Access Roads 35,900 35,900 19 Total 32,100 30,500 130,600 193,200 100 Percent 17 16 67 100 100 The period between 1976 and 1970 witnessed no development in road transportation pavement because of the Nigerian civil war, which took place during that period. This period and the financial resources of the country were devoted to the execution of the Nigerian civil war. The period between 1971 and 1975 coincided with the policy of the Nigerian Government to rehabilitate and maintain the war torn areas. Thus, money was earmarked for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the road transportation in the Eastern part of Nigeria, which were largely damaged during the civil war when all economic activities were halted. Similarly, in other parts of the country, a large proportion of roads were

taken over from the state government by the Federal Government for construction. The Federal Government took this step because of the advantages derivable from the construction of more road transportation system. This advantages include fostering internal trade between areas of the country, that were not accessible by any other mode of transportation and the development of natural resources of the remote areas of the country. The planning, designing, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of new roads were also undertaken in other to raise the standard of living of the Easterners because of the negative effect of war in that region. Other reasons for the take-over of some road


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networks construction by the Federal Government according to Oni (2006) was the reduction in road traffic accidents, which had been achieved on many of the roads because of their improved designs in terms of width and strength. Since 1975 and through the 3rd and 4th Development Plans and rolling plans, the Federal Government used road construction as instrument to gain political points because its structures were better appreciated aesthetically and spatially. Thus, the military and civilian governments at Federal, State and Local Government levels embarked on many roads construction that culminated in the present dense nature of Nigeria’s road transportation system6. The creation of States, which was intense, therefore had many implications to road transportation facilities as well as the traffic

management techniques adopted in the city centers. Thus, as the States increased, the administrative headquarters also increased thereby influenced road transportation, that were planned, designed, constructed, maintained and rehabilitated. Thus by 1996, road transportation in 36 major urban centers in Nigeria had undergone series of transformation in terms of construction, maintenance and rehabilitation. Similarly, commuting distance within the cities and rural area continued to increase because of rapid growth in population, housing

d area extent. Figure 1 and 2 shows the new look Ring road, Benin City and Abuja 7 road network.

Figure 1: The new look Ring road, Benin City Figure 2: Abuja 7 road network However, it was reported in 2011 that only 15% of the Nigeria’s road transportation system are in good condition. Incredible it sounds, but it is a stark reality. The scary statistics was released by the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. It showed that about 15 percent of more than 160,000 kilometers of secondary and tertiary roads are road worthy7. The RAMP verdict came barely 72 hours after Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu urged the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on Nigerian roads. He spoke during a courtesy visit on Works Minister Mike Olotememen at work. The RAMP statistics also stated that the hinterlands, which have a large population of Nigerians, have the greatest share of bad roads, 70% of which are in the rural areas. National Co-ordinator of RAMP Ubandoma Ularamu, an engineer, made the revelations in Osogbo, Osun State, at the opening of 2011 retreat and review meeting. His words: “Out of over 160,000 kilometer of secondary and tertiary

roads in Nigeria, with an average registered network of 4,000 kilometers per state, only about 10 – 15% is paved. While a large proportion of this network remains in poor or very poor condition with only 15% of Federal roads in good condition. “It is sad to note that rural roads, which are statutorily referred to as Local Government roads which constitutes about 132,000 kilometer (68%) of the entire road networks in Nigeria is the worst hit by this state of disrepair.” ………… “high transport cost, long travel time, huge post harvest losses and high rate of auto-accidents”. Explaining the negative effect on agriculture, Ularamu recalled that studies carried out in 2006 revealed that about 20% of total farm produce never reached the market. The Federal Government decided to implement RAMP in Kaduna and Cross River states where they were designed to meet the needs of each state, one of which had 132 numbers of river crossings. The coordinator noted that RAMP had proved to be a huge success in the two pilot states, which had elicited the interest from other states that have shown willingness to use RAMP strategies to


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address their rural road development problems. The project, according to Ularamu, had adopted the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) in selecting the states wishing to participate in RAMP to meet two criteria of governance and readiness.

Ularamu submitted that unless these issues were strongly addressed, the huge sums of money expended on roads could end up being wasted. Figure 3, Map of Road Transportation System in Nigeria8.

Figure 3: Map of Road Transportation System in Nigeria. Source: Macmillan Nigeria Secondary Atlas, 2006. Pg. 31. Road Transportation System as a viable Tool for Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria The need to open up the economic and settlement frontiers of the country was the major factor that influenced this study. Increasing the supply of export products such as cocoa, palm produce, cotton, petroleum and groundnuts that were moved to the ports by the railways and helping the rural settlements realize their productive potentials. Due to this viability of transportation system, Nigeria has the best free market economies on the African Continent and is a motive force and backbone for setting up road equipment manufacturing industry. In area of poverty alleviation in communities, agriculture, job creation in various areas, improvement in businesses in villages to decongest cities, free flow of goods, services and people from different parts of the country to another (even outside) and others, road transportation system is excellent. 80% of all goods moved by trucks over roads and 85% of all persons are transported by cars, buses or coaches on roads. The commuting distances in rural-urban have increased. There were 6,822 vehicles in Nigeria by 1946 made up of 4,702 relicensed and 2115 new

ones. The figures soared to 20,440 by 1950 made up of 14,200 re-licensed and 6,240 new ones. The vehicle stock grew gradually from this time up to 1970 when it shot up astronomically9. The vehicles newly registered dropped from 57,883 in 1994 (due to high cost) to 57,471 in 1995 and picked to 97,371 in 1996. Other means by which new vehicles were increased in the country was through Federal Urban Mass Transportation and Government parastatals that acquired vehicles through their annual subventions. The Federal Government of Nigeria recognized that the development of road transportation system is essential to the viability and development of the economy and for this purpose, 13.1%, 15.8%, 19.0% and 12.7% of the total gross capital expenditure from 1955 to 1959 was devoted to road transport (Robinson Hamlin et al, 1963). Since then, the first, second, third and fourth National Development Plans (1960-68; 1970-74; 1975-80) also had more than 25% of the total allocation to Development Plans devoted to transport sector. The preference of Government to the provision of road transportation infrastructures later influenced the

0 100

200

Scale 1:11 000 000 Conformal Conic Projection

Expressway

Trunk Road Secondary Road Other Road or Track Track Vehicle


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provision of transport services not only in the urban centers but as well, as inter urban services9. The Nigerian government set up a task force to look into the urban transportation problems and proffer solutions. The task force gave birth to Mass Transit Implementation Committee, which recommended among other things provision of buses, spare-parts and other transport complimentary facilities for Nigerians. The introduction of the Federal Urban Mass Transit Program (FUMTP) ushered in a number of policies that made the Mass Transit a success. Such policies include monitoring and providing guidelines on Nigeria’s urban transport system. Similarly, seminars / workshops to review problems relating to road transportation were largely undertaken. As at 2010, the lists of selected Nigerian road transport common carriers has developed to six thousand (6,000). One-way by which the public responded in beefing up supply of public transport was the use of big buses and mini buses as means of rural-urban transportation. Setting up of road equipment manufacturing industry in Nigeria will boost economic development and also improve road transportation structural design and construction.

Road transportation system development serves as a catalyst that promotes a virtuous circle of economic development. The reduction in input costs and improved producer prices lead to improved profitability of agricultural and industrial production, creating an incentive to increase output. At the same time, greater access to investment funds permits the expansion of capacity required to enable producers to expand production in accordance with this incentive and also facilitates upgrading of the technology of production. Economies of scale combine with improved productivity from capital deepening to further improve margins and provide additional impetus for investments. Increases in levels of production bring with them increased demand for road transportation services, improving profitability and encouraging further investment in road transportation itself. This in turn leads to improved service frequency and larger scale units of production (buses, lorries, trailers), providing a basis for the next cycle of improvements in the agricultural and manufacturing production of the cities served. A schematic representation of these processes is provided in Figure 410.

Figure 4: Schematic Representation of Relationship between Road Transportation and Economic Development

Problems of Road Transportation System Development in Nigeria The condition of Nigerian road transportation system is horrible and it ranks among the worst in the world.

This is evident in the harrowing experiences and agonizing tales associated with road travels across the country. Nigerian roads whether Federal or State, have dwelled more on their dilapidated state,


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characterized by gullies and craters and have become an embarrassing stigma11. Normal interaction has been frustrated by bad roads and vehicle owners are in distress as their vehicles are not used optimally. Some roads constructed over 30 years ago have not been rehabilitated for once, resulting in major cracks (longitudinal and transverse), depressions, broken

down bridges and numerous potholes that make road transport slow and unsafe. On many roads, the shoulder, a major component of the road had eroded off, putting the roads in near impassable condition. Figures 5 and 6 shows a section of where economic activity was halted due to bad road.

Figure 5 Washed off section of Figure 6 Pothole problem

road during rainy season Some of the roads require total rehabilitation and asphalt overlay, reinstatement of the shoulders, filling of potholes and building of collapsed bridges (Nnanna O.J. et al 2003). Moreover, the very many potholes and detours mean that vehicles keep breaking down so that on many of Nigeria's roads emergency mechanics have sprung up to assist stranded commuters sometimes with disastrous consequences. Touting by some government officers along the road is a major problem to road users and the road transportation system. Transporters are hurting and are bewildered that despite their payment of all road taxes to the Federal Government and the various rates to the State and Local Governments, little is being done to repair the roads upon which their livelihood depends. It is common for thieves, armed robbers, rapists and other miscreants to ensconce themselves in bad portions of the roads where all vehicles virtually come to a halt. Commuters are in trouble whether in the city or on interstate highways as bad roads make it impossible to plan a journey or predict arrival time. Economic activities are suffering as goods and services are now in short supply leading to price increases in practically all consumer items. But all this is happening in a country where there are several agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Works responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads. Every State and Local Government is charged with the responsibility of construction and maintenance of roads. The Federal Government at least on paper has voted billions for the rehabilitation of our road network. Previous Federal Ministers of Works have assured that contracts had been awarded, but nothing concrete ever happens on the ground 11,

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A survey conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the state of highways in the country in December 2002 revealed that road transportation system had remained poor for a number of reasons such as faulty designs, lack of good drainage system, use of thin coatings that are easily washed away; excessive use of the road network due to underdeveloped nature of waterways and railways which could have served as alternative means of transport; absence of an articulated road transport policy, inadequate funds for road maintenance and fund mismanagement. Yet in 2011 budget, the Federal Government approved a total of N=116 billion to rehabilitate and reconstruct 26 of the roads which cover a total of 34,000 km across the country. In fact, that decision which was seen as a step in the right direction, was hailed by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, and the Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD, unit of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers NUPENG which also suggested the introduction of weighbridges across the country as a necessary measure to protect the infrastructure when completed. Government said selection of the roads was based on such criteria as their socio-economic importance, their state of disrepair and the urgency of the need to repair them. But nine months after the huge contract was awarded, work is yet to start on those roads. This is the source of renewed worry for those who use these roads. Speaking on the state of Nigerian roads, Alhaji Lawal Isa, who is the national operations coordinator of NARTO, said, “The present level of deterioration is unprecedented in the history of road management in Nigeria. It has never been this bad even during the civil war years in the 60s.”


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As if to corroborate him, in his lecture last October, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth observed that Nigerian roads are “worse than those in war devastated Iraq and Afghanistan.” Anyaoku asked: “Do our government, ministers and leaders who travel often and see the condition in other countries never feel embarrassed by the condition of roads in our resource-rich country?” Recently, the Senate ad-hoc committee that investigated the decay in infrastructure in the transport sector revealed that over 80 percent of Federal roads in the country have collapsed. The lawmakers, who toured all the areas, estimated that, 27,200 kilometers out of 34,000 kilometers Federal road network are completely out of use. One man who is not so worried about the roads is Mr. Samuel Obayemi, the Public Education Officer at the headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC. He said: “The roads are safe, safe in the sense that we have discovered that most of the roads are in very bad condition and because the average road user is aware of this, I expect that when they travel on such roads, they would exercise a lot of care and patience”. “Once you know that there are problems, I want to believe that the problems are half solved. So, because we Nigerians are aware of the present condition of our roads, I will say they are safe.” So far, the FRSC has identified eight roads as black spots located on Lokoja – Okene Road; Abuja – Lokoja Road; Gwagwalada – Deidei – Karu Road and Benin – Ore Road. The others are Kaduna – Birni Gwari Road; Bauchi – Gombe Road; Bauchi – Darazo Road; Kano – Katsina Road. He maintained that if an accident occurs in a particular place, where 60 or 50 persons die and no other accident occurs at the spot in another two years, the place would not qualify to be described as a black spot. Mr. Obayemi said many causes of road accidents include over speeding, bad weather, over loading and drunkenness, which the FRSC has been educating the general public on. What is particularly annoying to the NARTO boss is that whereas other areas of the transport sector have witnessed appreciable improvement, the same cannot be said about road transportation which accounts for more traffic than the other modes combined. According to him, the implication of this is that the slow pace of road project execution can affect our capacity for the challenges of Vision 20:2020. Not only this, he said they might resolve to boycott the roads that remain in the state of disrepair by the commencement of the next rainy season. Awarding emergency contracts near Christmas time which also happens to coincide with the end of the

financial year does not seem to be a sustainable way of managing our bad roads. Contracts that are awarded at the end of a year are often abandoned in the New Year with no one bothering to ask questions. Burning of road surfaces during festivals, especially New Year eve and leaving of debris on the road. Is it a deliberate attempt by the concern authority to confuse the masses and the elites due to the shortage of highway and bridges professionals in the country? How many roads and bridges expert do we have in the country? Can the body responsible (Federal Ministry of Works) boast of any seasoned updated roads and bridge experts or road equipment manufacturing industry? Failing to address corruption, that is a major inhibitor at every stage of road transportation system management. This is evident considering the fact that the consultants and contractors the Federal Ministry of Works relied on for this planning, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance are mere traders. It is an open secret for those who care to investigate and follow the affairs of the industry that some foreigners have taken over the industry, pushing contractors and consultants of high repute out of the business. No road equipment manufacturing industry in the country. All equipment are imported. The roads are not designed for expansion as the volume of traffic increases, road construction should be seen to be keeping pace accordingly. Below are more problems bedeviling institutional arrangements regarding road transportation system in Nigeria: - The various governmental bodies involved have been unable to respond to the functions which they are supposed to be rendering due to certain human, technical and financial constraints. - Road transportation system in Nigeria is characterized by proliferation of management bodies. This has clearly created overlaps and conflicts in the provision and management of road transportation infrastructures and services and the enforcement of traffic laws and regulations. - The functions and the level of involvement of the three tiers of government are not clear. Their roles overlaps are duplicated and confused. Whereas successful implementation of rural-urban road transportation policy can only be meaningful within the context of an effective, coherent and well coordinated institutional framework. - The present Federal system arrangements put road transportation predominantly under the control of Local Government. Local Government manages 67% of roads, State Government 27% and Federal Government 6% only. Whereas, the Local Government is grossly under-funded and it lacks fund generating drive, technical expertise and other


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resources to provide for efficient road transportation infrastructure and service delivery. - Inadequate routine maintenance and neglect of periodic and emergency maintenance coupled with poor initial design and construction. These factors shorten the useful life of the roads and increase the operating cost of vehicles. - There is a lack of coordination in the construction and maintenance of the various road networks and a lack of a coherent national road policy, consistent regulation and application of road standards. - Most operators of goods and passenger vehicles have limited professional and business capacity resulting in inefficient and ineffective services. - Road design standards have not kept pace with increasing traffic volumes and vehicle weights and poor axle load control causes significant damage to the road transportation system. - A lack of road markings, safety and caution barriers and signage contribute to the high accident and casualty rate on all roads. Suggestions for Improvement “We cannot solve problems using the same kind of thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein (1879–1955) While the Nigerian government continue to award road construction contracts to the same companies that have constructed substandard roads in the past, sectional failure of new road construction is now common. You could say “the devil is in the details” and not be far from the glaring truth. If we are to believe that government intentions are devoid of latent agenda, we would expect the government to upgrade superbly, the nation’s road network (part of the nation’s decaying infrastructure) to fulfil a critical existential component of the nation’s economic development. We are only interested in design and construction, neglecting the normal simple international procedures of planning, designing, construction, maintenance and rehabilitation (PDCMR). A developing country like Nigeria needs a highly developed and well functioning road equipment manufacturing industry with equipment manufacturing engineers and viable transportation system. Nigerian government should endeavor to initiate policies in order to minimize the influx of the fairly used road equipment and vehicles otherwise known as “Tokunbo” or Belgium into the country. The influx of fairly used road equipment and vehicles into Nigeria have undermined the economy of the country and subsequently turned the country into a dumping ground for these road equipment and

vehicles. Government should enunciate policy guidelines that would standardize the influx of these road equipment and vehicles into the country. The Nigerian Government should direct the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to broaden the responsibility of the Rescue Department of the Commission by establishing a National Emergency Rescue Project. This is to give prompt and adequate attention to victims of accidents. Other measures include the introduction of traffic rules as practiced in advanced countries like the off-side rules, humps and bumps. The resuscitation of lane-markings equally would help minimize road accidents. There is need for improvement in road planning and designing. This is because roads in Nigeria have no place for pedestrians, bicycle users and even the disabled. It is a vestige of our colonial history which needs to be reversed. The Zonal Director of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), South-West zone, Engineer Olatayo Komolafe, in an interview with Saturday Tribune pointed out that the primary mandate of FERMA was maintenance of the Federal roads only and not to reconstruct and that FERMA is constrained by lack of funds. Most of these roads were built in the mid-70s and the early 80s and the life span of a standard highway is about 15 years, and that therefore virtually all these roads had deteriorated beyond maintenance. He further posited that the function of FERMA is to bring the deteriorating structure back to its original state. He, however, stated that in view of the collapse of these roads, what the roads need is rehabilitation or reconstruction depending on the level of deterioration. Therefore, it is recommended that, a State Highway and Transportation Official (SHTO) be formed, this will be coupled and work towards and target Public Private Partnership (PPP). This SHTO-PPP will consist of the principal executive and engineering officers of high integrity from the various 36 states and the CEO of the participating privates companies. The sole duties of this body will be the development, operation, and maintenance of our nation-wide highway infrastructures. Conclusion As I come to the end of this presentation let me go a little back to my point of departure. Road transportation system as shown through my articulation of factors affecting road transportation system and suggestions for improvement has demonstrated and revealed that it is the motive force of population agglomerations and it is like the bloodline on which the survival of the rural-urban fabric depends. The study also revealed that no rural-


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urban center can function optimally without an effective road transportation system, while the circulation routes are like the arteries and veins of the body, the vehicles constitute the blood that make the rural-urban fabric survive. The study concludes that Nigeria which has the best free market economies on the African continent due to viability of transportation system should develop and open road equipment manufacturing industry. When Nigeria develops the concept of good road equipment manufacturing industry, then the nation will boast of meeting the Vision 20:2020. Without good road equipment manufacturing industry in the country and good roads, there will be no uniform and decent development. Road construction equipment is a motive force and backbone for meeting socioeconomic development in Nigeria. The study also concludes that without viable and effective road transportation in Nigeria all economic activities would come to a halt. More so, going by the present poverty alleviation program of the Government the role of road transportation in the provision of job creation and invariably improving the standard of living of the people cannot be over emphasized. The study stated that Nigeria must also plan for the future mobility of rural-urban areas since World Health Organization (WHO, 1993) estimated that the period between 2013 to 2020, the total world population will increase from 5.2 thousand million to about 7.8 thousand million. Similarly, there is need to increase and encourage private participation in the provision of road transportation system. Finally, the study stated that Government should provide enabling educational environment that would guaranty efficient and adequate training and movement of people, goods and services. References: 1. E.M.P. Edeh, The First Articulation of African Philosophy of Being, Igbo Metaphysics, Madonna University Publications, Enugu, 2009. 2. Ogunbodede E. F., Urban Road Transportation in Nigeria From 1960 To 2006: Problems, Prospects And Challenges, Nigeria, 2008. 3. Nwadike Jones, Practical Experience gathered during Planning, Designing and Construction of Ogbia-Oloibiri Road, Principal Consultant, SPDC, 1993. 4. Nnanna O. J., Odoko F. O., Alade S. O. Central Bank of Nigeria. Highway Maintenance in Nigeria: Lessons from Other Countries. 2003 5. Nwadike Jones, Practical Experience gathered during Planning, Designing and Construction, Upgrading of Road in Port Harcourt MoU, Principal Consultant, Total E&P Ltd, 2011.

6. Oni Samuel Iyiola, Public-Private Partnership Relationships in Urban Transportations in Nigeria, 2006. 7. Nigerian Pilot Daily Newspaper Thursday 18 August 2011, Peter Akpochafo, How Bad Roads Take It’s Toll On Electioneering Companies, 2011. 8. Frederick O.A. et al, Macmillan Nigeria Secondary Atlas, Macmillan Publisher. 2006. 9. Robinson Hamlin et al, Standford Research Institute, The Economic Coordination of Transport Development in Nigeria. Menlo Park, California, 1963. 10. Princeton N. Lyman, Nigeria's Economic Prospects: An International Perspective. http://www.cfr.org/pub7394/princeton_n_lyman/nigerias_economic_prospects__an_international_perspective.php, Nigeria. 2004 11. Iweze Daniel Olisa, Travails on the Nigerian Roads: The Case of the Luxury Bus. Kano, Nigeria. 2011. 12. Nwadike Jones, Practical Experience gathered during Maintenance and Rehabilitation of SPDC Field Roads in Greater Port Harcourt Area, Principal Consultant, SPDC, 1993 - 1998. 13. Igbikiowubo Hector, Vanguard Newspaper, History, Structure of the Roads System, 23 June 2008. 14. Nwadike Jones, Practical Experience gathered during Maintenance, Uprading and Rehabilitation of SPDC Field Roads in Kolo Creek Area, Principal Consultant, SPDC, 1993 - 1998. 15. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Transportation and Economic Development from http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch7en/conc7en/ch7c1en.html. 16. Oni Samuel Iyiola, Issues in and Future of Urban Transportation and Traffic Management System in Nigeria, 2006. 17. NNPC Letter: “Nigerian Content Development Short term Directives: Rev. 2”, 13th October, 2006. 18. Mohammed Sani Baba, Irene Chigbue, Onwuha Felicia, etal, Report of the Vision 2020 National Technical Working Group on Transport. 2009. 19. Nwadike, Jones, Community Development - Best Practice in Managing Indigenous Projects. A paper presented at the First Ever National Conference on Community Development, Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria and Shell Engineering Conference, Hague, Netherland, 2007. 20. Nwadike, Jones, Information Technology – An Effective Tool for Wealth Creation in Community. A paper presented at the Nigerian Computer Society Conference, Abeokuta, Nigeria, 2008. 21. Nwadike, Jones, Repositioning Infrastructure Procurement as an Effective Tool for achieving Community Development. Nigerian Society of


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Engineers Conference, Lagos, Nigeria and Shell Engineering Conference, Hague, Netherland, 2007. 22. A.G. Hopkins, An Economic History of West Africa. London: Longman Publishers, 1973. 23. Oba I. Abraham, The Challenge of Traffic / Transportation Engineering in the Niger Delta of

Nigeria. Inaugural Engr. Enoch George Distinguished Annual Lecture, 2011. 24. Umoren V. et al, Development of Road Infrastructure as a Tool of Transforming Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Nigeria, 2009.

road transportation system as a viable tool for economic development in nigeria

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