The Nigerian Transport Infrastructure Industry (‘the Industry’) remains a critical enabler of economic activity, facilitating domestic commerce, regional integration and the movement of people and goods across multimodal transport networks. The Industry continued to benefit from favourable long-term demand drivers in 2025, supported by Nigeria’s estimated population of over 237.5 million, rapid urbanisation and expanding merchandise trade, which increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% to ₦152.5 trillion between 2020 and 2025. Maritime transport remained the dominant gateway for external trade, accounting for 98.7% of exports and 94.9% of imports, while cargo throughput rose to 129.3 million metric tonnes. Notwithstanding these favourable fundamentals, Nigeria’s transport system remains structurally imbalanced, with road transport accounting for approximately 95% of passenger and freight movement despite only about 30% of the country’s estimated 200,000-kilometre road network being paved. During the year, the Federal Government sustained investment in strategic transport corridors, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, while continued expansion of the Lekki Deep Sea Port and Lagos State’s Omi Eko water transport programme reinforced multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.
Despite increasing investment activity, infrastructure deficits and financing constraints continue to limit the Industry’s capacity to meet Nigeria’s growing transport demand. The Revised National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan estimates that Nigeria requires approximately US$2.3 trillion in infrastructure investment between 2020 and 2043, underscoring the need for greater mobilisation of capital through public-private partnerships, infrastructure bonds and other structured financing solutions. Agusto & Co. believes the Industry is gradually transitioning to integrated transport corridor development, with greater emphasis on improving connectivity between roads, ports, rail and inland waterways. While macroeconomic volatility, execution risk and weak maintenance culture remain key challenges, continued investment in strategic transport infrastructure and increased private-sector participation are expected to support the Industry’s development over the medium term.
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