An Investigative Study of Travelers Perceptions on the Application of Information Technology in the Nigerian Road Transportation Sector

The Transportation system in Nigeria has attained a high level especially the airline and road transportation sector. However, the Road transportation system has not been well established in comparison with its airline counterpart. As a result of rapid urbanization taking place in the country, travelers are becoming more sophisticated (especially the business class). The citizenry in general are gradually embracing the use of IT and IT based services in their daily lives. Consequently, the increase in the growth of the transportation sector in combination with several factors which hinder the citizens travel experience in Nigeria actuated the need for an alternative means which meets the demands of travelers whilst eliminating the problems. Thus, this study reports the results of a survey that was conducted, the research problem for this study has been formulated as follows: “What are travelers’ needs and preferences when planning their journeys, and how familiar are travelers in Nigeria with the internet and e-travel services in general”. Sequel to a detailed literature review which revealed some facts about the travel industry in Nigeria, an online survey targeted at travelers was launched using closed-ended questions. The established facts in this study are: the internet is a viable tool which is heavily used by travelers in Nigeria for seeking information irrespective of their level of income level. Many travelers have direct access to internet enabled personal computers or mobile internet enabled devices, would prefer using the internet for making travel plans including the purchase of tickets. The findings of this research showed that there is a need for a website where travelers in Nigeria can search for basic travel information and also compare offerings from different transport companies. In conclusion, the internet was found to be an effective communication channel to be used by travelers in Nigeria to enable them seek basic travel information needed and also plan their journeys effectively.