Digital Transformation of Transport Management in Nigeria: An Innovation Ecosystem Perspective

The digital transformation of transport management in Nigeria, encompassing ride-hailing platforms, digital freight marketplaces, IoT-enabled fleet management, and AI-driven traffic systems, is reshaping industry structure and regulatory governance in ways that demand theoretical and empirical analysis beyond conventional technology adoption frameworks. This study examines digital transformation in the Nigerian transport sector through an innovation ecosystem lens, analysing the co-evolutionary dynamics among technology innovators, transport operators, regulatory institutions, and users. The research employs a longitudinal multiple case study design, tracking eight digital transport innovation projects across Lagos, Abuja, and Kano from inception through adoption and regulatory response over a four-year period. Data collection combines 65 in-depth interviews, participant observation at three transport technology incubators, computational analysis of app store adoption data, and regulatory document analysis. The study draws on digital platform theory, innovation systems theory, and institutional entrepreneurship frameworks to interpret findings. Analysis reveals that digital transport ecosystems in Nigeria develop through three non-linear phases: insurgent innovation, institutional collision, and negotiated coexistence, with the outcome of the collision phase determined by the regulatory capacity and political economy of each city's transport governance environment. Original theoretical contributions include the Insurgent Mobility Ecosystem model and a typology of regulatory response strategies to transport platform innovation. Practical contributions include a governance framework for enabling beneficial digital transport innovation while managing regulatory capture risks. Keywords: digital transformation, transport innovation, ecosystem, Nigeria, platform governance.