Nigeria has the second longest road network in Africa, with an estimated 195,000 kilometres of roadway coverage, according to 2026 data published by Global Firepower.
According to a report by PUNCH Online, the ranking places Nigeria 28th globally, behind South Africa, which leads Africa with 750,000 kilometres of roadway coverage and ranks 11th worldwide.
Ethiopia ranks third in Africa with 180,000 kilometres, followed by Kenya with 161,452 kilometres. The Democratic Republic of Congo occupies fifth position with 152,373 kilometres, while Tanzania ranks sixth with 145,203 kilometres.
Mali is seventh with 139,107 kilometres, followed by Algeria with 112,696 kilometres, Zimbabwe with 97,267 kilometres and South Sudan with 90,200 kilometres.
Global Firepower said the figures measure total usable or useful roadway coverage and form part of its 2026 logistics ranking.
The organisation explained that roadway coverage serves as an indicator of infrastructure development and provides access to industrial sectors, transportation terminals and ports.
Globally, the United States has the longest road network, covering approximately 6.59 million kilometres, followed by India with 6.37 million kilometres and China with about 5.2 million kilometres.
Brazil ranks fourth globally with approximately two million kilometres, while Russia occupies fifth position with 1.28 million kilometres.
South Africa is the only other African country among the global top 20, ranking 11th with 750,000 kilometres.
Nigeria’s 195,000 kilometre road network places it ahead of Ethiopia, which ranks 30th globally, and Kenya, which occupies 32nd position.
The ranking, however, measures the total length of roadway coverage and does not assess the quality, condition or proportion of paved roads in the countries surveyed.
Leave a comment