Evaluating the Performance of Nigeria’s National Transport Policy: A Critical Assessment of Implementation Outcomes

National transport policies set the strategic framework for transport sector development, and their evaluation is essential for understanding implementation gaps and informing policy revision. This study critically evaluates the performance of Nigeria's National Transport Policy against its stated objectives, using a policy implementation theory framework. A qualitative content analysis of the 2010 National Transport Policy and its subsequent revision process is combined with key informant interviews conducted with 25 senior transport sector officials across federal ministries, regulatory agencies, and international development partners. The study systematically assesses implementation outcomes across five policy domains: road transport, railway development, aviation, maritime, and transport safety, using measurable proxy indicators derived from sector statistics. Findings reveal significant implementation deficits across all domains, with railway and road maintenance targets showing the poorest performance against policy benchmarks. Policy-practice gaps are attributed to inadequate budgetary appropriation, weak institutional coordination among ministries, the absence of a formal implementation monitoring mechanism, and frequent political disruption to long-cycle infrastructure programmes. The aviation sector shows comparatively stronger implementation performance, attributed to more independent regulatory governance and stronger private sector participation. The study fills a gap in transport policy evaluation literature for Nigeria, which has been dominated by sector-specific rather than cross-modal policy assessments. Recommendations include the establishment of a National Transport Policy Implementation Monitoring Office and the publication of annual policy performance reports. Keywords: transport policy, implementation, Nigeria, policy evaluation, governance.