Transportation have economic impacts on Nigeria. Many transportation methods exist in various countries but developed countries use more transportation methods. These developed countries use alternatives like electric trains and they are fast like airplanes. Nevertheless road transportation is still the major means of transportation in Nigeria. This article talks about how to improve transportation in the country and they are below:
- i) Road construction
The major challenge in transportation in the country is roads. Some federal roads are so horrible that one drives a 5 hours journey in 12 hours. Example Jalingo-Numan-Gombe road where drivers choose to drive through farmlands in place of roads because they are horrible. Another example is the boundary of Kwara and Niger State towards Ilorin. Trucks stuck here on rainy days in a way difficult for other vehicles to pass. Road construction in Nigeria is primarily a government thing. Construction of more roads in Nigeria will improve transportation in Nigeria.
- ii) Mass transit programs
Transportation costs more due to high cost of fuel in Nigeria. The Nigerian government can cut down the cost of transportation through mass transit programs which other states use. Nevertheless some mass transit vehicles are not performing this function. A lot of people prefer travelling on smaller vehicles because some government buses are not functioning well. Dirty interiors, overloads and vehicle breakdown are transportation issues. When government at the local, state and federal levels buys vehicles for public use, they have to keep up the vehicles and cut down overloading. This will enhance transportation in Nigeria especially in the festive season.
iii) Promote inland water transportation
Some water bodies in Nigeria are yet to undergo exploration from the government. Making use of inland waterways will cut down the cost of road transportation and cut pressure for road travels. Speed boats can run on some water channels in Nigeria as a means of transportation. Inland Waterways Authority in Nigeria issues licenses for private transportation and approves construction of crafts. This Inland Waterways Authority can revitalise waterways in the country through the Nigerian Inland Waterways Fund.
- iv) Provision of more trains
Very few railways function in Nigeria. Example is Abuja-Kaduna rail line. However this is too small for a country. There is a necessity to construct more railways in Nigeria and get more trains. This can promote transportation since trains are the cheapest methods of transportation and they can carry a lot of passengers once.
- v) Travel by air
Many people avoid using the Nigerian domestic airlines to travel because they underrate the service and its more costly. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority can make air travel in Nigeria more affordable and convenient to promote in Nigeria. Air transport in Nigeria is yet to win confidence of many Nigerians. The government can engage in campaigns to encourage Nigerians to use the local air transport in Nigeria to transport. Media adverts like radios, televisions and so on can do this. Providing more air facilities like that of the international will boost the air transport system in Nigeria. Nigerian air transport should avoid using old airlines for transport since it is a risk to use them. The airlines should undergo routine checking and maintenance always to know the ones that is no longer suitable for flight.
- vi) Cutting down contingencies in importation
The Nigerian customs service and the Nigerian government can cut down the contingencies in crop rotation which causes an increase in prices of cars as a result of high taxes. Importing cars in Nigeria involves high tax. Cutting down the tax on importation will cut the cost of vehicles and have some effect in Nigeria. Cutting down clearing process and custom duties are essential too.
Many people want to import cars in Nigeria and sell them but the cost of clearing these cars at the Nigerian customs service is so high that they do not consider this. These people go ahead to import second-hand cars to Nigeria since they are cheaper to clear. Cutting down tax on imported cars will have some impact on the transportation system in Nigeria.
vii) More fuel
The price of fuel in Nigeria is high. Fuel scarcity in Nigeria is as a result of hoarding from dealers. The increase in price is from black marketers and the pump price. When the price of fuel increase, the cost of transportation increase too. When the price goes down the cost of transportation goes down in too. Fuel should become cheapest in Nigeria because Nigeria is an oil-producing country. Nigeria should have the cheapest price of fuel in West Africa but this is not so because of corruption. A lot of sacred cows in Nigeria have oil wells which they use to influence oil price in Nigeria. The government should set up agencies to make sure that there is no hijacking of price in the market. Nigeria should encourage local refining of oil instead of always using foreign companies to refine their oil. If Nigeria oil refining returns to the local firms in Nigeria, oil price will go down.
viii) Cutting down corruption
Government can check corruption in the transportation sector. This will enable funds for projects. Corruption is very deep in the Nigerian system and even bodies for checking corruption in Nigeria are corrupt too. So who will cut down this corruption when those who are to check it are corrupt too. This have some influence on the transportation system.
- ix) More trains
There is a necessity for more trains too since the rail lines have very few trains running on it. Rail lines in Nigeria are yet to reach various parts of the country. There is a necessity for expansion of these rail lines to reach more states. Provision of more service centres for the trains will help in maintaining the railways and trains since few people are into servicing in Nigeria. Nigeria has capacity to make all roads tarred roads but because of corruption this is not so.
