Nigeria: Investing in transport infrastructure

Nigeria continues to embrace exciting challenges to ensure its recent economic growth is matched by the necessary upgrades to its transport infrastructure. In the last six years, Steer Davies Gleave has been working with clients in Nigeria to help address the infrastructure challenges posed by a legacy of underinvestment, changing politics and economic reform.

The current Nigerian government has started to address the nation’s decaying infrastructure, investment in repairing the country’s poorly maintained roads and revitalising its dilapidated rail network, partly through privatisation. Similarly, the government is pursuing a strategy of partial port privatisation by granting concessions to private port operators so that they can improve the quality of port facilities and operations.

As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria faces an interesting task in improving personal mobility and connectivity for its large reserves of natural resources. Despite the substantial level of investment needed in infrastructure and transportation, the country continues to experience strong growth, averaging 7% each year between 2003 and 2009. However, this level of growth is unsustainable without major improvements in the infrastructure and transportation that its people use every day.

Personal transportation remains a major issue. Many journeys involve several changes and several fares being paid. In Lagos, for example, travel often involves long journey times that are best unreliable and occasionally (at worst) unsafe. This is one of country’s greatest challenges; the provision of a reliable, affordable, integrated and safe transport system.

Steer Davies Gleave’s experience on a mixture of transport projects, for both private and public sector clients alike, has successfully started to help address some of the country’s transport challenges.

The private sector is keenly watching the Lekki-Epe Expressway project as the concessionaire soon takes the reins of the operation and maintenance of the expressway over the next 30 years. There is little doubt that this will lead to further private sector involvement in the rehabilitation of the nation’s infrastructure.

Between 2009 and 2010, we were also involved in designing and developing a transportation database for the whole of Lagos State which contains details over 250,000 journeys. We believe this is the largest programme of travel surveys in the history of Africa. Our work now forms the bedrock for future transport developments in the city of 18 million people.

In our most recent project, the detailed design of a Bus Rapid Transit from Oshodi to Ikorodu, we have played a key role in helping design this 22km BRT corridor that is currently out to tender with construction due to start Spring 2011.

Nigeria has started what will be a long road to the recovery of its infrastructure. The reform agenda is continuing and capacity is being built in its institutions so that its future remains prosperous. The next year sees Presidential and Gubernatorial Elections and this will cause uncertainty – but recent history suggests that Nigeria will continue to grow and develop.

Here are some of the projects we have worked on in Nigeria:

Lagbus BRT – the first Bus Rapid Transit system to be implemented in Lagos Nigeria.

• Lekki-Epe Toll Road – the Lekki-Epe corridor is one of the fastest growing corridors in terms of urbanisation. A new toll road linking existing and proposed development areas along the corridor is now under construction.
• Lagos-Badagry Expressway – the state government is planning to expand the expressway to a 10 lane that would include Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), light rail and other vehicles to ease congestion on this corridor.
• Lagos Monorail – linking together the commercial areas of Lagos and Victoria Islands.
• Blue /Red Line LRT - the blue rail line is being developed in conjunction with the Badagry Expressway project, and the Red Line rail system is being developed on North-South axis through some of the most densely populated areas in Lagos.
• Lagos Travel Surveys - this comprehensive data collection exercise covered both public and private travel movements across Lagos.
• Lagos – Ibadan Toll Road - a proposed upgrade and extension to the Lagos-Ibadan Link road corridor to help ease congestion on the Lagos road network.
• Ibom Industrial City Master Plan – a proposed city development in Akwa Ibom State will be an ultra-modern industrial , business and tourism destination in Nigeria.
• Lagos BRT- Oshodi to Ikorodu BRT - This proposed 22km extension of Bus Rapid Transit corridor will help reduce passengers journey times.