By Olatunde Ajayi
The Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NIHTE) has urged the government to adopt Artificial Intelligence and other intelligent systems in Nigeria’s transport management in line with global standards.
The chairman of NIHTE, Ibadan Chapter, Lawal Olalekan, made the call during his inauguration as the 4th chairman at the institution’s 6th annual conference in Ibadan.
The inauguration, held alongside that of other executives, was themed: “Drivers’ Traffic Violations and Their Impact on Highway Performance: Empirical Evidence From AI-Based System in Nigeria”.
Olalekan said that the adoption of AI and Intelligent Transport Management Systems would transform mobility by improving safety, efficiency and sustainability across road networks.
The engineer added that AI-powered traffic control systems could analyse real-time data from cameras, sensors and GPS to reduce congestion, predict traffic build-up and automatically adjust traffic signals.
This, he said, would not only cut travel time and fuel consumption but also significantly reduce road accidents caused by human error and poor traffic coordination.
“It will also lead to massive revenue generation for the government through fines from traffic violations and enforcement of road regulations.
“So, it is going to be a win-win for the government and citizens who will enjoy good traffic coordination,” he said.
The new NIHTE chairman promised that his tenure would focus on members’ welfare, training, project supervision and technical visits.
He added that his administration would look into renewed collaboration with contractors, researchers and other stakeholders in the construction industry.
The event’s guest lecturer, Dr Adeolu Odutayo, of the Department of Transport Management, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, said that manual enforcement has created obvious gaps in Nigeria’s traffic management.
He said the cost of traffic infractions to Nigeria is too high and must be addressed through AI-based enforcement.
He noted that countries that have adopted the technology have recorded a significant reduction in road violations.
According to him, it is not enough to construct new roads without ensuring compliance with traffic rules and improving road users’ behaviour.
He urged the government to advance policies for the immediate adoption and implementation of AI systems.
The policies, he said, should ensure multidisciplinary collaboration and proper database acquisition, and establish frameworks to protect data privacy.
However, NIHTE National Chairman, Dr Bola Mudashiru, while declaring the conference open, had earlier said that technology alone could not curb traffic violations in Nigeria.
He said that, in addition, motorists’ behaviour on the road must be addressed.
Mudashiru, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, said NIHTE advocates improved human behaviour as a critical factor in managing traffic violations.
He noted that how motorists use the road was as important as deploying technology.
According to him, many motorists still violate traffic rules, disregarding other road users.
He said that the deployment of AI and computer vision would only be effective when road users are conscious that violations would be detected and penalised.
He, therefore, called on governments, particularly the Oyo State Government, to invest more in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
This, he said, includes AI-powered cameras and Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to monitor roads from a central control room.
Mudashiru added that sustained enforcement would compel motorists to obey traffic rules and improve road discipline.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference highlighted the signing of the Oath of Office by new executives, recognition of distinguished members and goodwill messages, among others.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Moses Solanke
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