Lagos — The 30th Anniversary of On The Highway Africa took a defining turn with a powerful Legacy Lecture on the theme: “Improving Public Transportation Infrastructure for Road Safety, Security and Sustainability.”
The Guest Lecturer Dr. Femi Eguaikhide, Chairman, Auto & Automotive Components Sectoral Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and Deputy Managing Director of RT Briscoe Nigeria PLC.
Delivering the lecture before chairmen of organizations, Captains of industries Executive Automotive players, media practitioners, regulators and other stakeholders, Dr. Eguaikhide declared: “Nigeria does not have a Road problem. Nigeria has a public transportation infrastructure problem.”
He noted that 30 years ago when On The Highway started, Nigeria was importing fairly-used buses and patching potholes. Thirty years later, he said, the country is still doing the same — only with more traffic.
“We have celebrated the construction of roads. But we have not celebrated the construction of TRANSPORT SYSTEMS,” he said.
Recommendation One: From Roads to Integrated Transit Infrastructure
Dr. Eguaikhide, speaking for LCCI, said Nigeria must stop building Roads in silos and start building systems — where a Lagosian can leave Ikorodu, enter a CNG BRT at Ikorodu Terminal, connect to the Blue Line at Marina, and connect to Last Mile, all on one Cowry card, in a terminal that is lit, clean and safe.
He noted that dedicated BRT lanes reduce accidents by 30-35 per cent globally, a fact Lagos has already proved.
LCCI Ask: A 10-Year Dedicated Public Transit Infrastructure Plan — 1,000km of dedicated lanes and 50 modern interchange hubs across Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu, with private sector participation.
Recommendation Two: Security is Infrastructure, Not Just Policing
Dr. Eguaikhide said LCCI members — including MAN, NARTO and logistics companies — lose over ₦15 trillion annually to insecurity, cargo diversion and unsafe corridors.
“You cannot have sustainable transport where a driver is afraid to drive at night, or a woman is afraid to wait at a bus stop at 7pm,” he said.
He argued that security in the next decade will not be more checkpoints, which kill trade, but smart terminals with CCTV and lighting, GPS tracking and panic buttons in all commercial buses, cashless fare systems, and a National Secure Corridor Command linking FRSC, Police and private fleet owners.
LCCI Ask: Make GPS and speed limiters mandatory for all public transport vehicles above 18 seats, and incentivise cashless ticketing with tax rebates for operators.
Recommendation Three: Sustainability is Economics, Not Environmental Grammar
On sustainability, Dr. Eguaikhide was clear: the future of public transport is CNG and Electric — not because Paris said so, but because the pocket says so.
He explained that one diesel BRT bus burns ₦18m fuel per year, while the same CNG bus burns ₦6m — a saving of ₦12m per bus per year. For 10,000 buses, he said, that is ₦120 billion saved in FX, plus jobs created in gas conversion and local assembly.
While commending the Presidential CNG Initiative, he called for more infrastructure — mother stations, daughter stations, conversion centres, and most importantly, locally assembled buses.
LCCI Ask: A 5-year National Public Fleet Renewal Programme — 10,000 CNG/Electric buses assembled in Nigeria, with a 5-year import duty waiver on CKD kits and single-digit financing for operators.
“Let us build the buses here. Let us build the jobs here,” he said.
In his closing, Dr. Eguaikhide congratulated On The Highway at 30, noting that the publication has shown that journalism can sustain a sector.
“For the next 30 years, let us move from reporting accidents to preventing them,” he said. “If we build SYSTEMS, we will improve SAFETY. If we build SECURE CORRIDORS, we will improve SECURITY. If we build CNG/ELECTRIC FLEETS, we will achieve SUSTAINABILITY.”
He added: “The road to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy will not be built on more cars. It will be built on better public transport.”
Dr. Eguaikhide Honoured as Automotive Man of the Year
In a fitting climax to the lecture, Dr. Olorunfemi Eguaikhide was also presented with the Award of Automotive Man of the Year at the anniversary celebration.
The award was in recognition of his resounding positive changes and unwavering commitment to the automotive industry in Nigeria, and his transformational leadership in growing the automotive value chain.
Chairman of the Event, Frank Nneji, OON, Honoured with Legacy Leadership Award
The Chairman of the event, Frank Nneji, OON, was also presented with the Legacy Leadership Award at the anniversary celebration, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, enduring legacy and immense contribution to the growth of the transport and automotive industry in Nigeria.
He was honoured amongst other Awardees at the event.
The event also featured the presentation of the Road Safety Champions Award of the Year to Cedric Masters Nig. Ltd, alongside goodwill messages from industry stakeholders.