GO-SLOW - THE POLITICAL-ECONOMY OF URBAN TRANSPORT IN NIGERIA WITH ANEMPHASIS ON ADO-EKITI

The purpose of this paper is to examine urban transport issues in Nige ria. These issues hinge on a state-led bias for the private car that n egatively affects the transport needs of the majority. Three underrepr esented themes in Third World urban transport research are developed: transport in medium-sized cities, and transport from political-economy and gender perspectives. These themes are related to Nigerian cities in general, and to Ado-Ekiti, a rapidly growing administrative and agr icultural centre of 150,000 people, in particular. As in many Third Wo rld countries, a conventional wisdom has developed in Nigeria, in whic h urban transport policies and spending measures favour car-owning eli tes at the expense of the poor. An unconventional approach to urban tr ansport policy, that of the World Bank, is critically assessed. The ev aluation of transport in Ado-Ekiti relies upon the author's observatio ns and survey results. High population densities and an efficient hous ing market help limit the urban sprawl that would seriously exacerbate transport problems, but there are class and gender inequalities in ac cess to and conditions of travel. Ado-Ekiti's women have achieved a me asure of economic independence that work outside the home makes possib le, but they use less prestigious modes of transport. Additionally, ac cident rates are very high in Ado-Ekiti and Nigeria, and shrinking veh icle fleets are reducing the use of motorized transport. These and oth er transport problems in Nigeria generate various forms of popular res istance. A variety of measures can improve transport for the popular c lasses, but a change from the present practice will not come easily.