By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Federal Ministry of Transportation has taken a significant step towards revolutionizing Nigeria’s transport sector with the inauguration of the Project Implementation Committee for the Smart National Transport Data Bank (SNTDB).
This follows the recent approval of the SNTDB by the Federal Executive Council, a digital transport intelligence platform spearheaded by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT).
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja, was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi.
Speaking at the event, Engr. Adebiyi emphasized that the initiative aims to close longstanding gaps in transport data collection, coordination, and accessibility, thereby enhancing evidence-based planning and investment across Nigeria’s transport sector.
The SNTDB project, originally approved at the 12th National Council on Transportation in 2012, is now set for implementation under a 20-year. Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession awarded to Asia-Arab Investment Nigeria Limited.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation supervises the project, with NITT mandated to establish and manage the data bank.
The newly formed Committee, chaired by Engr. Adebiyi, includes representatives from key agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Transportation, NITT, Federal Road Safety Corps, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Federal Ministry of Works, Office of the National Security Adviser, and the Concessionaire.
The Committee’s responsibilities encompass overseeing project implementation in accordance with the Concession Agreement, monitoring milestones, coordinating participating agencies, managing risks, ensuring financial and governance accountability, and submitting regular progress reports.
Dr. Bayero Salih Farah, FCILT, Director-General and Chief Executive of NITT, described the SNTDB as a national transport intelligence infrastructure designed to support planning, regulation, safety, security, infrastructure development, and evidence-based decision-making. Key components of the project include the installation of at least 250 solar-powered intelligent gantries equipped with RFID and ANPR technologies, establishment of Traffic Management Centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, a Main Data Centre, an Electronic Tagging (E-Tag) ecosystem, database integration, real-time analytics, and robust cybersecurity systems. These components will be implemented in phases.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to providing the necessary policy and institutional leadership for the successful delivery of the project, while NITT will oversee contract management and safeguard government interests.
The Federal Ministry of Transportation said it remains dedicated to delivering a secure, functional, and nationally integrated transport intelligence system that will offer measurable benefits to the government, transport operators, and the Nigerian public.
