By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.

The Federal Government has officially launched the Smart National Transport Data Bank (SNTDB) Project, a landmark initiative aimed at revolutionising Nigeria’s transportation sector through technology-driven data integration and intelligent transport infrastructure.

The project took a major step forward on Monday with the signing of a concession agreement between the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) and Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited (AAI), marking the commencement of a strategic public-private partnership designed to modernise transport planning, management, safety and security nationwide.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi, the Director of Legal Services, Barrister Olusegun Omotola, described the project as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to build a modern and data-driven transport ecosystem.

Omotola said the initiative aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to strengthen the transport sector’s contribution to economic growth and national development.

“The Smart National Transport Data Bank Project represents our collective commitment to building a modern, intelligent, secure and data-driven transportation system for Nigeria,” he stated.

He disclosed that the project received approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) after undergoing extensive technical, financial and regulatory evaluations, reflecting government confidence in its transformative impact.

According to him, the SNTDB will serve as a comprehensive digital transport intelligence platform capable of collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating transport and mobility data across the country.

Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, Boboye Oyeyemi, said the initiative is in line with the recently approved National Land Transport Policy and will address a longstanding challenge facing the sector.

“For more than four decades, transport projects in Nigeria have struggled due to the absence of reliable and real-time transport data,” Oyeyemi said.

“This project will bridge that gap by creating an integrated platform that harmonises data across all modes of transportation, providing policymakers and stakeholders with accurate information for planning and decision-making.”

In his welcome address, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NITT, Dr. Bayero Salih Farah, traced the origin of the project to resolutions adopted at the 12th National Council on Transport held in Makurdi, Benue State, in 2012, which called for the establishment of a National Transport Data Bank.

Farah explained that the initiative underwent years of stakeholder engagement, technical validation exercises, proof-of-concept demonstrations, regulatory reviews and due diligence assessments before securing approvals from the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), presidential endorsement and eventual FEC approval.

“The National Transportation Data Bank Project is not merely an ICT project. It is a national transport intelligence infrastructure designed to provide Nigeria with a single integrated, real-time source of transport and mobility data,” he said.

He noted that while the first phase of implementation will focus primarily on road transportation, future phases will incorporate rail, maritime, aviation, inland waterways, pipeline and non-motorised transport systems into a unified national framework.

Farah announced that pilot implementation of the project will commence in Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa, Borno, Enugu and Edo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of nationwide deployment.

Also speaking, the Chief Financial Officer of Asia Arab Investment Nigeria Limited, Hisham Radwan, said the project would transform transportation governance by shifting it from a reactive system to one driven by real-time intelligence, predictive planning and data-based decision-making.

Industry stakeholders at the event described the initiative as a major breakthrough that could enhance transport efficiency, improve safety, support infrastructure planning and provide government agencies with reliable mobility data needed for effective policy formulation across Nigeria.