Manuscript Number : SHISRRJ18149

Infrastructure development and availability is central to the socioeconomic advancement of any nation and road infrastructure in particular plays a vital pervasive role in optimizing the benefits of other infrastructure. In Africa, Nigeria ranks high in terms of road network, with the largest road system in West Africa comprised of approximately 200, 000 Km of roads that links villages and cities. The importance of road network and transportation in Nigeria is premised on the fact that a large majority of passenger and freight movement is done by road due to the inadequacy of other forms of transportation. The incidence of about 17% of national road network serving 80% of vehicular and freight traffic coupled with a population growth rate per annum of over 2.5% calls for urgent intervention in road construction and maintenance. This study investigates the effect of inflation on science and technology with a focus on road transportation sub-sector of the transportation sector as a technology used to move people and goods in Nigeria. It seeks to empirically ascertain if there is a significant relationship between inflation and road transportation with a science and technology view of road infrastructure. The scope of the study covers the contribution of road infrastructure and transportation to the Nigerian economy. The research is designed to conduct a descriptive review with the aim of determining possible correlations. The sample size for the analyses of inflation and road infrastructure spans 2015 to 2016 based on a quarterly basis. The data were collected from secondary sources from specific government organizations and their authorized consultants. Qualitative and quantitative data were used in the analysis, to optimize the strengths in each method in making up for their respective drawbacks. The sub sectoral contribution of road transportation to national productivity was assessed as well as its direct and indirect association with inflation within the same time frame. The results show that there is no direct and strong correlation between quarterly inflation and road transportation during the period under review. A comparison between both indicators showed that in the first year under investigation, when inflation was fairly stable, road transportations contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product – GDP - fluctuated. While in the second year when road transportation’s contribution to GDP grew at a more stable pace than in the previous year, inflation increased more rapidly. This study will highlight empirically the need for prompt investment in road infrastructure in Nigeria considering the effect of inflation and the potential to loose economic growth momentum.