University of Lagos Expert Advocates Rail-Led Transport Strategy

Dr Femi Ola Aiyegbajeje, a lecturer at the Department of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, has called for a significant change in Nigeria's transport infrastructure planning. He urged the Federal Government to implement a rail-led multimodal integration strategy that connects seaports, railway corridors, roads, inland terminals, production centres, and markets within a coordinated logistics system.

In his presentation titled “Rail-Led Multimodal Integration: Unlocking Efficient Transport, Trade Facilitation and National Connectivity,” Aiyegbajeje stated that Nigeria could maximize its transport investments by shifting from an infrastructure-first approach to an integrated logistics service model. He emphasized that railway infrastructure should function as part of an end-to-end freight transportation chain to realize its full economic potential.

Aiyegbajeje noted that coordinated transportation systems are essential for efficient cargo evacuation and distribution, as operational bottlenecks can occur at seaports and railway infrastructure can underperform without proper coordination.