High Costs in Nigeria's Transportation System

Transportation is essential for human life. It is impossible to stay put in a place forever; there will be a need to move from one place to another, either to source means of livelihood or shelter, among many others. From ancient times, there have been different means of transportation, and the oldest of them all is by foot. During the days of the early generations, when there weren't any means of transport such as the ones we enjoy now, they traveled long distances on foot. With the security situation in Nigeria, there isn't any reason for them to panic; they know every bush path they can travel along to get to their destinations.

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As civilization sets in, different means of transportation are being introduced, and those that can afford them upgrade to the next while those that can't continue with the one they were used to do so. The use of horses for transportation in Nigeria during ancient times was utilized by the rich. They are the only ones that can afford it, as at that time, I couldn't get the actual price, but in the 21st century, if you are to buy a horse now, the least expensive is #350,000, which equals $467, and that is huge; not everyone can afford that. People who had horses made use of them for their transportation to cover long distances, and this made life a bit easier.

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As they began to be enlightened and many foreigners came into the country, civilization spread at a faster rate, and life became easier with the introduction of bicycles, motorcycles, and tricycles. With this, you can convey yourself wherever you want to go. Some travel several kilometers on these means of transportation, and due to how improved the country is as of then, even if you don't own one of these, you can easily rent one from those who do and just pay a small amount of money. The stress of traveling by foot and on a horse got reduced, and this is not expensive because the price of fuel needed to power the motorcycle or tricycle wasn't as high as it was then.

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To get a motorcycle in Nigeria today, the least price is #300,000 which is $400 while a tricycle is #1.2 million which is approximately $1600, not everyone has the capacity so some opt for the option of hiring from those that have it and are willing to lend it out for hire. The transport fare on a motorcycle or tricycle is calculated based on the distance and each bus stop stopover; the longer your distance, the higher your pay.

We have several people who work as motorcyclists and tricycle drivers who help convey people from one place to another. If I were to board a tricycle from my house to a popular bus stop known as Challenge, which is 9.7 km away, I would spend #200, which is 0.27 cents due to the subsidy removal that has increased the price of petroleum in Nigeria. Before, it was #100 to #150 per person. This might look cheap, but looking at the value of the naira, it is very expensive.

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During the olden days, they also made use of trains for transportation. I can't get the actual price of that per kilometer because it was no longer in use when I was born, so I couldn't get facts on trains. Now back to the recent age, the 21st century, where Nigeria is civilized and we make use of buses and cars to get to our desired destination. Commercial transportation, popularly called public transport, is so popular these days that even though it is expensive, people have no choice but to board it to wherever they want to go. Commercial transport isn't that convenient, but we have to board it anyway. The price being charged for distances these days is outrageous, but due to the ongoing subsidy removal, we would have to endure until the price of petroleum is reduced from the #580 per liter that we are buying now.

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This is the popular bus used in Lagos State, the center of commerce in Nigeria; although some areas make use of luxurious buses, it isn't common. The color of the bus or car, which we call a taxi, depends on the color authorized by each state government, but yellow is the color used in Lagos State. This bus is used to commute people from one place to another within the state; it cannot operate outside the state. The ones used for transportation from one state to another within the country are mostly white.

Transportation from one state to another these days seems impossible because of the high cost of transportation fares. People find it difficult to travel out of their residence state for any reason. I had to inquire about the recent transport fare if I were to travel from my state, which is Kwara State, to Lagos State, which is about 301.7km away. Apart from the inconvenience of traveling by public transport for about 6 hours, which is not certain because the bus can develop faults along the way, the price is alarming. The current price is #12,000, which is $16. That's expensive, unlike before when a bus to Lagos cost #5000 about $7.

All these previously mentioned means of transportation seem expensive, yet they are cheaper than traveling by air. The most expensive means of transportation in Nigeria is by air. Take Lagos as an example: traveling by air from my present state to Lagos State costs more than traveling by road, although it is faster and more convenient. Recently, the least expensive was $70, which is #52,500 in Nigerian currency, depending on the airplane standard you are traveling with. This is within the country, not outside the country; this is the most expensive means of transportation in Nigeria though it takes shorter periods of about 1 hour and 25 minutes instead of 6 or 7 hours on the road.

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