History, importance, modes of transportation in Nigeria

Transportation in Nigeria has evolved over the years to become a big deal. Gone are the days when the only means of transportation were horses or walking.

Transportation is all about transferring people and/or their luggage from one location to another. Air (airplanes, jets, and helicopters), water, or land (roads, rails, and rivers) can accomplish this.

In Nigeria, roads are the most often used form of transportation, particularly because they are inexpensive and easily accessible, as opposed to trains, which have become entirely dysfunctional in the years that have followed.

Table of Content hide 1History of transportation in Nigeria 1.1Road transportation 1.2Water transportation 1.3Railway 1.4Air transportation 2Importance of transportation in Nigeria 2.1Delivery of services and goods to customers 2.2Employment for transport workers 2.3Food supply 2.4Foreign exchange and importation 3Mode of transportation in Nigeria 3.1Land transportation 3.1.1Human portage 3.1.2Animal portage 3.2Road transportation 3.3Railway transportation 3.4Air transportation 3.5Water transportation 4Transportation statistics in Nigeria

History of transportation in Nigeria

From pre-colonial times to the present, Nigeria’s transportation system has had a tremendously fascinating and illustrious history. We are traveling down memory lane as we examine how our current transportation system developed from the old, simple systems to the sophisticated ones we use today.

Road transportation

The beginning of road transportation can be traced back to Lord Luggard‘s attempt in 1904 to build a mule route connecting the two Northern Nigerian states of Zaria and Zungeru. Later, the route from Zaria to Sokoto, then to Katsina and Maiduguri, was expanded.

The road between Ibadan and Oyo, built in 1906, was the first road built in Nigeria specifically for transportation.

The road was characterised by a sparse section of winding, little roads that were mostly used for moving people and agricultural goods from farms to markets and homes. Some of these agricultural goods were then transported to ports for exportation to other nations. Later, this route was developed as a system of side roads connecting the main administrative centres of the nation and seeming as a cohesive whole.

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Water transportation

The first mechanically advanced mode of transportation to reach us was via the sea. As the Europeans came, they established outposts along the shore and launched a series of forays inland to discover what was within those dense jungles. Conflicts broke out as they moved deeper into the hinterlands, and connections with the natives were made. Massive natural resources that will be extremely valuable as raw materials for the needs of their economic sectors have been found through exploration of the hinterlands.

Exploration of the regions led to the inevitable exploitation of natural riches. To transport these natural riches to the other side of the Atlantic, ships were the greatest option. Seaports were created in this manner all along the coasts.

The primary departure port for the evacuation of these natural resources was Calabar port, but over time it became more and more challenging to transport the majority of these goods from the remote hinterlands along the eastern beaches and western hills down to Calabar ports. As a result, establishing ports along the Port-Harcourt and Lagos canals became necessary, especially since the Lagos channels offered simple access to the Atlantic Ocean. Soon, Calabar Port, known as the Port of Slaves, suffered a decline in cargo as almost all significant maritime operations shifted to Lagos Apapa Port.

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Railway

The British established rail transportation in Nigeria to aid in evacuating these resources to the seaports to efficiently exploit the huge natural resources of the region. As a result, many rail lines were constructed as early as the 1900s to link the nation’s main seaports for evacuation.

Nigeria’s rail transportation network was designed to link Lagos Port with the main cocoa and palm oil growing regions, particularly the Abeokuta-Ibadan-Ilorin Axis. In 1916, the area had a railway line built to connect it with the Port Harcourt port due to the discovery of coal in the Enugu axis.

The British also built a connection railway line to unite the northern protectorate with the south. Soon, people and cargo were transported across the country via railway lines, quickly becoming the main mode of transportation. In actuality, rail carried most people travelling from Lagos to Otta and Abeokuta.

But shortly, a transportation system that the British believed would complement rather than compete with the trains appeared and presented a worthy challenge to the railways. However, this developed into one of the Nigerian transportation issues that the British could not solve.

Air transportation

The development of air travel in Nigeria dates back to the years following World War II, beginning in 1945. Following the war, West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) and the British Royal Air Force (RAF) flew between Britain and her territories in West Africa (Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Lone, and the Gambia).

When Nigeria obtained independence in 1960, it created its own Nigeria Airways Limited as a national airline. It then launched different types of contemporary aircraft such as the DC-3, F27, F28, and later the Dc-8, Dc-10, Boeing 707, Boeing 737, and Boeing 474.

As demand for air travel expanded, the national aircraft could travel many international routes. Still, complaints also increased as wealthy Nigerians saw the superior service and added luxuries offered by other national crafts.

After modifications, Nigerian Airways had a monopoly on domestic air service provision in the nation until the 1980s, when the demand for air travel increased, and Nigerian Airways was compelled to allow the involvement of private airlines in domestic aviation.

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Importance of transportation in Nigeria

The importance of transportation in Nigeria are:

Delivery of services and goods to customers

In business, a production process is not complete until the products are delivered to the end customers after travelling through the entire distribution chain (from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer).

Transportation makes the activities in the supply chain easier because when a retailer buys products, he or she must transport the products to her store and resell them. Goods or products may be manufactured on the outskirts of a town and must be transported to the wholesaler.

Employment for transport workers

Whether it’s intercity travel or intracity travel, many people rely on transportation for their livelihood.

Transportation provides a means of employment for car washes and those who perform what is referred to as “loading,” in addition to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members. There is also the more recent taxi industry, which is convenient and profitable.

Many work full-time as drivers, sailors, captains, pilots, and air hostesses. These people rely on transportation for their livelihood.

Food supply

Transportation makes it easy for farmers to make food available to the urban population of Nigeria.

Agricultural products must be conveyed to consumers quickly because they have a relatively limited shelf life and are susceptible to the actions of spoilage organisms.

This is why farmers, primarily residents of rural areas, never stop pleading with the government to repair crumbling roads and construct new ones.

Foreign exchange and importation

The export and import of goods and services through transportation have the potential to boost our foreign exchange.

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Mode of transportation in Nigeria

The mode of transportation in Nigeria. Include:

Land transportation

This refers to the transportation of commodities and people over terrain. Land-based modes of transportation include:

Human portage

This action involves walking or travelling on human legs. This applies where there is not much of a distance.

Animal portage

Horses, donkeys, camels, and other animals are used in animal portage to facilitate mobility. In the northern region of Nigeria, this is extremely typical.

Road transportation

This comprises moving people and goods using vehicles, including automobiles, buses, motorcycles, trucks, and lorries.

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Railway transportation

This involves using trains for rail transportation. Nigeria primarily uses small gauge railroads.

Air transportation

This is the act of moving people, products, and services from one location to another. It makes use of jets, rockets, helicopters, and airplanes. Airports come in two varieties: international airports and local/domestic airports.

International airports are those where aircraft that travel outside of the country can take off or land, such as Port Harcourt International Airport, Muritala Mohammed International Airport, and Abuja International Airport.

On the other hand, domestic (local) airports are places where aircraft that fly within Nigeria or from one state to another can take off or land.

Water transportation

This is the transportation of individuals, goods, and services via water. Ocean navigation and inland water navigation are the two components of water transportation.

While inland water navigation in Nigeria entails travelling by water through the creeks, lakes, lagoons, and rivers, ocean navigation involves travelling between Nigeria and other nations via the oceans, particularly along the coast.

Transportation statistics in Nigeria

Road transportation is the most frequently used mode of transportation as compared to the other modes of transportation. This is because it is more affordable than the rest. Nigerians hardly use water transportation because it is not their preferred means of transportation.

Water transportation is mainly used to transport goods and services in and out of the country. Air transportation is also not used so much because of the cost. Only people who can afford it use it, and because planes do not go to every part of the country, people seldom use it except when traveling outside the country.

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