Geographic Spread of Traffic on Nigerian Roads:
Roads play a major role in the Nigerian economy, transporting over 90% of both passenger and freight traffic. Notwithstanding the relatively poor condition of Federal roads in Nigeria, traffic volumes continue to increase. Analysis and traffic Data for Federal Roads shows that about 5% of the roads carry over 10,000 vehicles per day. Imagine, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Edo account for over 50% traffic volumes continue in Nigeria. But in spite of their importance, Federal and State roads are often in a poor condition because of a lack of routine and capital maintenance, vehicle overloading, and poor traffic management.
The foundation for modern land transport system in Nigeria was laid in 1898. Initially, roads were seen as feeders for the rail system. Prior to this period, transportation consisted of bush paths and tracks across the jungles and deserts using head porterage and pack animals. The early evidence of road works are the cart roads for mule and ox carts started in 1903 and 1904 in Calabar and Zungeru respectively. As a result of the extension of railway northwards, road motor services were opened in 1906 from Ibadan-Oshogbo–Ede. By 1914, the length of roads over which vehicles could be passed had risen to 2,000 miles. The process of road development was impaired by the outbreak of the First World War, hence emphasis shifted to the construction of rail lines from Port Harcourt to Kaduna. However, by 1922, the road efforts were renewed and in 1925, the Road Board was established, which later became the Communication Board. The Road Board was charged with the responsibility of working out the framework for the development of secondary and feeder roads[1]. The first bituminous surface outside the limit of a township was laid in 1926 on the section of Lagos – Abeokuta road. By 1951, official records show that 44,414km of roads had been developed, out of which 1,782km were bituminous roads and the rest 42,632km were earth/feeder roads. Between 1951 and 1980 there was a three-fold increase in total length of roads constructed; while feeder road construction in the same period increased about two fold. Feeder roads and highway networks in Nigeria were initially designed to service mainly export trade. However, it was later expanded to provide support to the expanding domestic economy. In 1980, the total length of the roads in Nigeria stood at 114,768km made up of 38,632km bituminous and 86,136km earth feeder roads. Thereafter the total network grew to 193,000km in the 2000s.
The current administration of the Nigerian road network in terms of design, construction, rehabilitation, maintenance and safety reflects the Federal structure of Nigeria given that there are Federal, State and Local government roads. At the Federal level, the administration of the road network is done based on responsibility sharing. The design and construction is done by the FMoW; routine maintenance is done by FERMA, a parastatal under FMoW; safety enforcement by the Nigerian Police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
[1] FRN, 1970:180.
