Technology advancement in transportation (road, railway, air, maritime and pipeline) is evolving rapidly. It brings with it more opportunities that helps improve productivity, safety, accessibility, efficiency, sustainability etc. It also gives it more competitive advantage as well as increase in its market share and profit margin.
Nigerian economy deserves a modern innovative technology system to drive it maximally. A better transportation system will help to increase performance and maintain the nation’s position as the largest economy in Africa. With gross domestic product (GDP) of $446.543 billion in 2019, the sector increased its GDP from $642.927 to $720.241 million and it is believed that more investments in the sector will help boost the nation’s economy as well as attract more investments opportunities (local and international).
Over 80 million people use the sector daily in Nigeria because the industry is very essential and facilitates the movement of people, goods and services across the nation. Therefore, the use of modern information technology systems in driving it would have a significant impact to increase productivity, efficiency, maintain and also monitor the sector.
The use of modern technology would also have direct positive impacts in the nation’s transport space and environment as it would help reduce fuel consumption, reduce congestion and emission.
It is disappointing to see how traffic congestion has degenerated on our roads and accounts for significant economic loss in areas such as pollution, delay in the delivery of goods and services across different sectors of the economy, increase in industries turnaround time and higher fuel consumption due to traffic.
It is very important that Nigerian government should take urgent steps that would facilitate implementation of modern policies to drive the sector for greater performance as well as the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). For example, deployment of modern technologies in the sector would help reduce the number of accidents on our roads by providing warnings ahead to our authorities and drivers.
Transport and logistics are integral part of the success of any nation and therefore requires that we put measures in place to develop and sustain the sector. The strategic importance of the sector cannot be overemphasised as it is necessary for products and services to reach their final consumers safe, secure and affordable, because transportation is the gateway to the economy of any nation as it helps facilitate trade, supply chain and also stimulates the economy.
It is also necessary that for us to achieve our targets we must set politics, nepotism and other negative elements aside by taking full responsibility on how to upgrade the sector. The government also needs to create the right environment that would help coordinate more cohesively agencies that would monitor and implement the use of modern technologies to drive the sector to be more competitive and successful.
The importance of driving the sector with modern technology cannot be over emphasised because transport innovation is a catalyst for economic growth and sustainability. For example, sensor data and advanced analysis techniques such as machine learning are now providing new opportunities that help optimise performance of existing infrastructure, create more employment opportunities, instil maintenance culture, improve infrastructure planning and create a cleaner environment.
Transportation is a key factor in all aspects of national development. Its process involves the need to collect, assemble, transfer and distribute goods, services and people from one location to another timely. The sector is evolving globally and thanks to the positive impact of modern transformative technologies, education and innovation.
Achieving optimum outcomes from implementation and deployment of modern information systems across the entire value chain of the sector requires highly skilled and trained personnel with the right knowledge of the use of the technology to add value and at the same time reduce lead time in the sector.
So, while we are strategising on how to effectively implement the use of modern technology to transform the sector, it is important we give priority attention to human resources development which will help drive the needed change and this gives rise to why more funding for development and research of educational institutions offering transportation management technology in graduate and post-graduate courses must be increased
In addition, the government needs to give priority attention to institutions such as the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) and Federal University of Technology Minna (FUTMINNA), offering transportation technology courses at the highest level. Also, they should make these institutions major hubs for research, innovation and development centres in addition to the existing ones to boost their capacity.
Our transport authorities can also provide platforms for exchange learning and partnerships with institutions offering transport related courses, such as Australian Maritime College, Monash University Australia, Malmo University Sweden, Dalhousie University Halifax Canada, Suny Maritime College USA to help improve sharing of knowledge and ideas, innovation, skills and expertise that will help further develop the sector.
The paradigm in transportation is shifting to become more dynamic and there is realisation that institutions need to broaden their focus beyond theory to application and to also focus on the business, technology and management aspects, that will help attract more investments opportunities to the sector, both locally and internationally to stimulate growth in the economy.
Evidence of setbacks in Nigeria’s transportation sector can be blamed partially on lack of use of modern technology and poor infrastructure which are needed to connect and facilitate movement of goods and services across the country.
Finally, the inefficiencies in the delivery of human resource development programmes and use of modern technology systems to drive the sector are some of the major areas responsible for the slow growth of the sector.
Therefore, it is important for the government to review some of the existing policies to be more flexible and robust to accommodate the use of modern technology systems that would help drive the needed change and growth in the economy.
