From left: Keynote Speaker, Former MD FAAN, Dr. Richard Aisebeogun; Head Safety MMA 2, Mrs. Nafusat Adeniran; Corporate Communication MMA 2, Mrs. Ajoke Yinka-Olawuy; Chairman of the Occasion, Executive Director Operation and Technical, Tanta Security Services, Capt. Warredi Enisuoh and Convener/Host, Publisher JustAlive Communications Limited, Mrs. Pearl Ngwama, during the JustAlive Communications Limited 2nd Edition of Transport Summit on Theme: Navigating Global Disruption and the Road Ahead: Mobility, Energy and Trade Facilitation for Resilient Future, in Lagos. 0n 23/10/2026

Mounting geopolitical instability, volatile global oil markets, and crippling maritime trade disruptions are posing immediate threats to Nigeria’s economic survival unless the nation moves aggressively to integrate its fragmented transportation networks.

This warning was delivered on Friday, October 23, 2026, by Pearl Ngwama, Convener of the 2nd Nigeria Transport Summit, during her opening welcome address at the Providence Hotel in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Navigating Global Disruptions and the Road Ahead: Mobility, Energy and Trade Facilitation for a Resilient Future,’ Ngwama emphasised that external global shocks are directly exacerbating domestic transport costs, squeezing businesses, and fueling consumer inflation across Nigeria.

Highlighting the immediate ripple effects of international crises on Nigerian households, Ngwama pointed to recent data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showing crude oil prices spiking to $131 per barrel in mid-September 2026 following attacks on international energy infrastructure.

“For the transport industry, the consequences are immediate,” Ngwama declared. “Airlines face mounting aviation fuel bills; shipping companies contend with higher vessel operating and insurance costs; road haulage operators experience increased fuel expenses; and businesses must absorb rising logistics costs. Ultimately, these pressures translate into higher passenger fares, more expensive goods, and reduced competitiveness.”

She further cited UNCTAD and Reuters reports showing that shipping throughput via the Red Sea remains 70 percent below 2023 levels, while the cost of chartering supertankers on key international routes surged to $81 million compared to $9.1 million a year prior.

“Nigeria cannot control global oil prices or determine the outcome of international conflicts,” she noted. “However, we can strengthen our domestic transport infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and develop policies that reduce the extent to which external shocks undermine our economy.”

Ngwama cautioned that while global disruptions originate abroad, they primarily expose deep-seated structural flaws within Nigeria’s internal logistics architecture. She called for an immediate end to uncoordinated, isolated policy-making across aviation, maritime, rail, road, and inland waterways.

“Nigeria possesses considerable advantages, yet these advantages will remain underutilized unless our transport modes function as parts of an integrated system,” she stated. “A seaport cannot achieve its full economic potential when cargo evacuation is inefficient. A railway cannot deliver maximum value without effective connections to ports, industrial centers, and road networks.”

She stressed that achieving multimodal integration is crucial if Nigerian businesses hope to capitalize on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that access to a 1.3-billion-person continental market will yield little if local producers cannot move goods competitively.

Beyond infrastructure, the summit convener identified energy reliability, digital cargo tracking, and regulatory predictability as non-negotiable pillars for building sector resilience.

Ngwama criticised frequent policy shifts, overlapping institutional mandates, and uncoordinated regulatory decisions, noting that they scare off critical private capital.

As part of the summit highlights, the event spotlighted Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), acknowledging its pioneering role in private-sector airport concessioning and infrastructure delivery in Nigeria.

The summit featured key industry figures including Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, SAN; Marine and Blue Economy Minister Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Chairman of the occasion Capt. Warredi Enisuoh of Tantita Security Services; and Keynote Speaker Dr. Richard Aisuebeogun, former Managing Director of FAAN.

Closing her address, Ngwama urged stakeholders to deliver actionable policy recommendations: “Resilience must mean more than surviving a crisis. It must mean anticipating disruption, absorbing its impact, and recovering without bringing economic activity to a standstill.”