The Impact Of Transportation On The Nigerian Economy (1980 – 2010)

THE IMPACT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY (1980 – 2010)

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The transportation system in Nigeria is being seen as the means towards attainment of growth and development of the Nigeria economy. To attain such growth, an efficient function forms has to be laid.
In every aspect of man’s activities, transportation has come to play a vital role, which ranks it among the most important determinants of any success in such human activities. The transportation of goods and services has become vital to the economy due to foreign exchange earning to the sector of the economy. As such there is need for this study. A good and well backbone for a vibrant and growing nation.
Therefore, transportation is defined as the movement of people and material from one point to the other for one reason or the other. This movement could be on sea, land or air. Transport is hardly in demand for its own sake; rather it is linked
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organically to the survival of other sector namely social, political and economic sector. Hence the need for transportation services in any economy is it socialist or capitalist cannot be under estimated. The interaction between the level and pattern of transportation resources and the standard of living of the population of any country is or critical factor affecting social, economic, political military, religion, recreational or educational progress and must therefore be taken into account at all levels of planning. Therefore, activities in aspect of transportation system while their subsequent operations and development would generate increase demands for transportation of goods, services and people.
The development and efficiency of transportation system is a pre-requisite goal of all developing countries.
Money and funds have been selectively applied to this particular field of development and the principle is now generally accepted that the improvement of transport forms perhaps the most valuable single contribution towards economic, social and
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political development. In diverse ways of man’s daily activities transport system have served and will be serving and shall still serve. For example transportation system has been employed to serve in various economies’ criteria rather conveying raw materials to the manufacturing plants or finished goods, to the consuming areas. Certainly in the early stages of economic in communities where subsistence agriculture is still important transport is probably the key to development “Fertilizer improve strains of seeds, education and other subject are all of the greatest importance. But the needs for transport is prior of these” (Clark 1968).
Nigeria like any other developing country recognizes the importance of and need to develop an efficient transport system evidently stated in the third National Development Plan of 1975 to 1980. The transportation system has to support the growth and development of agriculture, commerce and industry with efficient movement or people and goods throughout the country. As a matter of public policy the government supports the continued development of efficient dynamic and flexible transport
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service as being vital to economic growth, expanding productivity and general process of the nation. The efficient and effectiveness of transportation system influence the cost of every commodity consumed or exported, thereby affecting business economic and industrial opportunities of every citizen the basic objective of the government in this field is to develop and assure the continued expanding availability if fast, save and economic transport service needed in a growing and changing economy in order to move people and goods in response to public and private demand the lowest consistent with health safely, convenience, and their broad public objectives (Ahmans 1990)
In the light of this, government has lead emphasis on efficiency, flexibility, safely and lowest cost in the development of transportation services especially the Federal Urban Mass Transit Programme in 1988 (Daily Champion, 1988) that led to the emergency of transport outfit such as Borno Express Corporation in Borno State, Kaduna transport Authority in Kaduna, Kwara Express in Kwara State, Plateau Express Limited in Plateau State. Like most government establishment they were making
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parastatals and their services are to be subsidized in relation to the private transport sub sector. All these development are effort towards a reflection of national growth, which had generated the information of various outfits to cope with this general pace in a natural building. These factors ensure a free low factor of production commodities with regards to cost of production and job opportunities. And from the welfare view point, it enhances higher standard of living of the populace.
Therefore, this essay is aimed at studying an economic analysis Nigeria economy with particular reference to Borno express corporation and the length at which public demands transport service (Bello, 2000).