Business
Fixing Nigeria’s Logistics Crisis: Oyetola, Stakeholders Demand Seamless Multimodal Infrastructure
Fixing Nigeria’s Logistics Crisis: Oyetola, Stakeholders Demand Seamless Multimodal Infrastructure
As Nigeria’s logistics and transportation landscape face a critical turning point, top government officials and industry experts have united to demand a shift away from the country’s heavy reliance on road travel.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside transport experts and industry stakeholders, specificall called for the urgent integration of road, rail, maritime, inland waterways and aviation networks to accelerate economic growth and reduce logistics costs.
The consensus emerged at the 12th Nigeria Transport Lecture organised by Transport Day Newspapers at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where participants stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve its full economic potential without a coordinated multimodal transportation framework.
Represented by a director in the ministry, Mrs Rashidat Yusuf, Oyetola described transportation as the backbone of economic development, trade facilitation and industrial growth, noting that the maritime sector remains central to Nigeria’s international trade and must be effectively linked with other modes of transport.

According to the minister, ongoing government investments in maritime security, port modernisation, digital transformation and inland waterway development are already yielding positive results by improving cargo movement, reducing logistics bottlenecks and enhancing investor confidence.
He said recent successes in combating piracy and other maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea have strengthened Nigeria’s position as a regional trade hub, while efforts to improve connectivity between seaports, rail lines and highways are expected to further boost economic productivity.
Oyetola, however, identified infrastructure deficits, weak inter-agency coordination, inadequate maintenance, regulatory bottlenecks and human capacity gaps as major obstacles to the sector’s growth, urging stakeholders to collaborate in addressing the challenges.
Delivering the keynote lecture titled, “Multimodal Transport Safety in Nigeria: Prospects, Challenges and Contribution to National Growth Pursuant to the Renewed Hope Agenda,” former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Chairman of the Council of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, warned that Nigeria’s heavy dependence on road transport is undermining safety, increasing costs and limiting economic growth.
Oyeyemi disclosed that nearly 90 per cent of freight and passenger movement in the country is carried out by road, placing enormous pressure on infrastructure, accelerating road deterioration and heightening accident risks. He added that only about 40 per cent of Nigeria’s road network is paved, further compounding the challenge.
The transport expert noted that although Nigeria possesses one of Africa’s largest transportation systems, it has yet to maximise the benefits of a fully integrated multimodal network.
He pointed to ongoing rail projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway and the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, as evidence of progress towards reducing pressure on the roads.
He further noted that plans to achieve 24-hour port operations, improve rail connectivity to seaports and expand the commercial use of inland waterways could significantly enhance logistics efficiency and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In a lead paper titled, “From Port to Hinterland: Rethinking Safety Governance Along Nigeria’s Intermodal Freight Corridors,” Associate Professor of Transport and Logistics at Lagos State University, Dr Ogochukwu Ugboma, called for a fundamental shift in the management of freight transportation in Nigeria.
She argued that safety should be treated as a governance issue rather than merely an operational concern, stressing that fragmented oversight across different transport modes continues to undermine logistics efficiency and freight safety.
According to Ugboma, more than 85 per cent of cargoes destined for Nigeria’s hinterland leave the ports by road, contributing to congestion, infrastructure damage, truck crashes, cargo theft and supply chain disruptions.
She advocated corridor-based governance, unified safety standards, shared databases, coordinated inspections and real-time monitoring systems to improve freight movement.
Also speaking, the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, Mr Kingsley Igwe, said the country possesses immense potential to develop a world-class intermodal transportation system.
He, however, identified inadequate infrastructure connectivity, regulatory fragmentation, poor maintenance culture, security challenges, human capacity deficits and limited deployment of data and technology as major impediments to progress.
Igwe urged the government to accelerate the adoption of water-based transportation, arguing that greater use of inland waterways would ease highway congestion, reduce freight delays and lower logistics costs that contribute to inflation and rising business expenses.
Earlier, the Publisher and Managing Editor of Transport Day Newspapers, Frank Kintum, said the annual lecture was established to provide a platform for regulators, operators and policymakers to identify challenges and develop practical solutions for the transport sector.
Participants at the event unanimously agreed that sustained infrastructure investment, stronger safety governance and seamless integration of all transport modes are critical to building a modern transportation system capable of driving Nigeria’s economic transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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Business
Petrol, Diesel Prices Drop as Dangote Cuts Ex-Depot Rates
Petrol, Diesel Prices Drop as Dangote Cuts Ex-Depot Rates
Motorists and businesses may get some relief from fuel costs as Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced fresh reductions in the ex-depot prices of petrol and diesel, cutting the prices by N50 and N80 per litre respectively.
Under the new pricing regime, the refinery reduced the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, from N1,215 to N1,165 per litre.
The price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), or diesel, was also reduced from N1,650 to N1,570 per litre.
The latest adjustment represents a 4.1 per cent reduction in the price of petrol and a 4.8 per cent cut in diesel.
The refinery said in a statement issued by the Dangote Group on Wednesday that the review was aimed at improving energy affordability, expanding access to locally refined petroleum products and supporting economic activities across the country.
The company said the new prices reflected its commitment to delivering affordable and quality petroleum products while maintaining a stable supply to the Nigerian market.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a reduction in the ex-depot prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel), reaffirming its commitment to providing affordable, high-quality petroleum products to the Nigerian market,” the statement said.
It added that the refinery would continue to leverage operational efficiencies and pass the resulting benefits to consumers whenever market conditions allowed.
The latest reduction comes less than two weeks after the refinery resumed naira-denominated petrol sales and raised its ex-depot price to N1,215 per litre following a brief shift to dollar-based transactions.
The earlier change had triggered concerns among petroleum marketers over rising downstream costs.
In July, the refinery had temporarily suspended petrol truck loading and introduced dollar-denominated sales, with petrol priced at $0.779 per litre under the new framework. It subsequently returned to naira transactions and fixed the ex-depot price at N1,215 per litre.
With the latest adjustment, the refinery has now reversed part of that increase, reducing the petrol price by N50 and diesel by N80.
However, the new figures are ex-depot prices and do not necessarily translate into an equivalent reduction in pump prices. The final price paid by motorists will depend on factors including transportation, depot charges, margins and other downstream costs.
Dangote said it remained committed to ensuring stable supplies while improving operational efficiency and supporting consumers, businesses and other stakeholders.
The refinery, which has a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, has increasingly become a major source of locally refined petrol, diesel and other petroleum products as Nigeria seeks to reduce its dependence on imported refined fuels.
The company said its operations were contributing to Nigeria’s energy security by strengthening domestic refining capacity, reducing reliance on imports and supporting economic development.
It added that it would continue to pass on the benefits of improved operational efficiencies to consumers whenever market conditions permitted.
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Auto
High Power Bills Force BUK to Halt Electric Vehicle Charging on Campus
High Power Bills Force BUK to Halt Electric Vehicle Charging on Campus
Rising electricity costs have forced Bayero University, Kano, to ban the charging of privately owned electric motorcycles and other electric vehicles across its campuses.
The university said the growing practice of using its electricity supply to charge private electric vehicles had contributed significantly to a sharp increase in its power bills, creating an additional financial burden for the institution.
The directive, which takes immediate effect, was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Lamara Garba.
According to the statement, the management has observed the “indiscriminate charging” of privately owned electric motorcycles and other electric vehicles using the university’s electricity supply.
It said the development was no longer sustainable at a time when the institution was seeking to manage its resources prudently.
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“The Management of Bayero University, Kano has observed with concern the indiscriminate charging of privately owned electric motorcycles and other electric vehicles using the University’s electricity supply across its campuses.
“This practice has contributed significantly to the sharp increase in the University’s electricity bills, thereby placing an enormous financial burden on the institution,” the statement said.
The university consequently directed all staff, students, commercial motorcycle operators and other users of electric motorcycles to stop charging their vehicles with the institution’s electricity.
It warned that anyone who violated the directive would face disciplinary action in accordance with the university’s rules and regulations.
“Management expects full compliance with this directive. Any person found violating this ban will be liable to appropriate disciplinary action,” the statement added.
To enforce the ban, the university directed provosts, deans, directors, heads of departments and heads of units to monitor compliance in their respective areas and report any violations to the appropriate authorities.
It also announced that a monitoring team would conduct regular patrols across the campuses to ensure strict adherence to the directive.
The institution urged all affected persons to cooperate with the measure, saying it was part of broader efforts to reduce energy costs and promote the prudent use of university resources.
High Power Bills Force BUK to Halt Electric Vehicle Charging on Campus
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Business
Zenith Bank confirms cyberattack, says customers’ contact information was accessed
Zenith Bank confirms cyberattack, says customers’ contact information was accessed
Zenith Bank has confirmed that hackers gained unauthorised access to limited customer information, including email addresses and phone numbers, following a cyberattack linked to a broader global attack affecting organisations across different sectors.
The bank disclosed the incident in an email sent to customers on Tuesday, assuring them that its banking services and digital channels remain secure and fully operational.
According to the lender, the breach involved only limited customer information, while its core banking infrastructure and digital platforms were not affected.
Zenith Bank said it activated its incident response procedures and other cybersecurity measures immediately after the unauthorised access was discovered.
The bank added that investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, determine its full impact and strengthen measures designed to prevent further security breaches.
“Hackers accessed limited customer information, including email addresses and phone numbers, during a cyberattack that forms part of a broader global attack on organisations across different sectors,” the bank said.
Although Zenith Bank did not disclose the number of customers affected or identify the individuals or group responsible for the attack, it maintained that its banking services remained secure.
The bank also did not indicate whether sensitive financial information, such as account balances, transaction records, passwords, PINs or banking credentials, was accessed.
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The development has raised concerns about possible phishing attacks, fraudulent text messages and deceptive phone calls, as cybercriminals may attempt to use customers’ contact information to impersonate the bank or obtain confidential banking details.
Zenith Bank urged customers to remain alert and exercise caution when receiving unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls claiming to originate from the bank.
The lender warned customers not to disclose their passwords, Personal Identification Numbers, One-Time Passwords or other security credentials to anyone.
Customers were also advised to avoid clicking suspicious links, downloading unfamiliar attachments or responding to unsolicited requests for banking information.
The bank said customers should independently verify suspicious communications through its official channels before taking any action.
Zenith Bank has previously warned customers about fraudulent messages and impersonation attempts, stressing that customers should rely only on verified communication channels when seeking banking support. (Zenith Bank Gambia)
The latest Zenith Bank cyberattack has renewed concerns about the growing threat of cybercrime in Nigeria’s financial sector, particularly as more customers depend on mobile banking applications, internet banking and other digital financial services.
In August 2024, Guaranty Trust Bank, now operating under GTCO, reported attempts to compromise its website domain. The bank said at the time that customers’ data had not been affected and that its banking operations remained secure.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also warned Nigerians about fraudulent emails, online messages and other communications falsely presented as official notices from financial institutions and regulatory agencies.
Such messages may contain suspicious links or requests for personal information intended to deceive recipients and gain unauthorised access to their accounts.
Zenith Bank said it remained committed to protecting customers’ information and thanked customers for their continued trust while investigations into the security incident continue.
As of the time of filing this report, the bank had not disclosed the number of customers affected, the source of the cyberattack or whether any financial information was compromised.
Zenith Bank confirms cyberattack, says customers’ contact information was accessed
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