Designing an Integrated Multimodal Transport Information System for Nigerian Metropolitan Areas: A Systems Engineering Approach

Integrated multimodal transport information systems represent the technological backbone of modern urban mobility management, yet their design and implementation in low-income urban contexts presents unresolved technical and governance challenges that demand original systems engineering contributions. This study develops a comprehensive design framework for an integrated multimodal transport information system tailored to the conditions of Nigerian metropolitan areas, using Abuja and Port Harcourt as co-design cases. The research employs a design science research methodology, cycling through problem identification, design artefact development, prototype testing, and evaluation iterations. Systems architecture design draws on intelligent transport systems standards including ISO TC204 and the reference architecture of the European ITS Directive, adapted through co-design workshops with 90 transport system stakeholders, software engineers, and mobility data specialists. The study develops three core system components: a unified transit data integration engine capable of aggregating formal and informal transport service data, a multimodal journey planning application with offline functionality for low-connectivity environments, and a real-time incident management dashboard for transport control centres. Prototype testing across six months in pilot zones of Abuja reveals system reliability of 94 percent under normal conditions and demonstrates measurable improvements in commuter journey planning efficiency. Original contributions include an informal transport data standardisation protocol and an architecture pattern for managing data quality in low-income urban transit environments. The framework is generalisable to other Nigerian and West African metropolitan transport systems. Keywords: multimodal transport information system, systems engineering, intelligent transport, Abuja, urban mobility.