To mark its a decade of business journalism, strategic policy reporting, and sector coverage, online publication City Business News will host its 10th-anniversary lecture on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa, Lagos. The landmark event will gather leading maritime operators, manufacturers, transport experts, and regulatory policymakers to discuss the critical infrastructure challenges impacting national distribution channels.
The milestone event will be chaired by legendary transport industrialist Mr. Frank Nneji, the founder and former CEO of ABC Transport Plc. Organizers note that the choice of Nneji highlights his deep contributions to modernizing West Africa’s haulage, logistics, and passenger transit frameworks over the last thirty years.
1. The ABC Transport Blueprint: Pioneering Formalized Fleet Systems
Frank Nneji’s role as the event’s chairman links directly to his history of structural innovation within the domestic transport sector. When he established ABC Transport Plc in 1993, the intercity road transport landscape was highly informal, fragmented, and lacked standardized safety guidelines.
Under his guidance, the firm introduced several key operational upgrades:
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Digitalization of Mass Transit: Implementing early online ticket booking platforms and centralized digital fleet management systems to monitor vehicle health and location in real time.
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Aviation-Grade Terminal Operations: Moving away from unregulated roadside parks by building enclosed, modern cargo and passenger terminals equipped with formal safety procedures.
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Cross-Border Diversification: Expanding from basic passenger transit into heavy-duty third-party logistics (3PL) haulage, vehicle leasing, and international routes across West African corridors under the ECOWAS trade liberalization framework.
2. Logistics as the National Economic Engine
The highlight of the event will be a keynote address titled “Logistics As The Engine Room Of Nigeria’s Economy,” delivered by Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi. As the immediate past Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and current President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), Oyeyemi will provide a data-driven look at how supply chain bottlenecks impact national productivity.
| Participating Regulatory Body | Strategic Port and Logistics Mandate |
| Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) | Managing marine entry points and truck transit parking lots to reduce traffic congestion around Lagos ports. |
| Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) | Automating import/export clearance systems to lower processing delays at maritime and land borders. |
| Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) | Protecting local manufacturers against unfair port pricing and arbitrary shipping surcharges. |
| NIMASA | Securing coastal shipping routes and regulating deep-sea freight activities. |
3. De-Risking the Supply Chain to Lower Inflationary Pressures
According to the Publisher of City Business News, Moses Ebosele, the anniversary lecture is intended to serve as a practical platform for policy reform rather than just a celebration. With food and commodity prices heavily impacted by the cost of diesel and transport security, building a resilient logistics sector is critical for controlling inflation.
By bringing together banking executives, automotive manufacturers, and government regulators under one roof, the forum aims to encourage joint ventures that can modernize transit fleets, lower port clearing times, and upgrade rural-to-urban transport networks. These improvements are essential for lowering the cost of doing business and boosting Nigeria’s economic competitiveness across Africa.
