Nigeria has one of the largest road networks in Africa, ranking second on the continent and 28th worldwide, according to Global Firepower’s 2026 data.
The country has an estimated 195,000 kilometres of roadway coverage. Only South Africa has more roads in Africa, with 750,000 kilometres.
Nigeria’s position puts it ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya, which rank 30th and 32nd globally respectively.
Ethiopia has 180,000 kilometres of roadway coverage, making it the third-largest road network in Africa. Kenya follows with 161,452 kilometres.
The Democratic Republic of Congo ranks fifth in Africa with 152,373 kilometres, while Tanzania is sixth with 145,203 kilometres.
Mali takes seventh place with 139,107 kilometres. Algeria ranks eighth with 112,696 kilometres.
Zimbabwe, with 97,267 kilometres, is ninth, while South Sudan rounds off the top 10 with 90,200 kilometres.
According to Global Firepower in its 2026 publication, the figures measure total usable or useful roadway coverage. They are included as part of the organisation’s 2026 logistics ranking.
The organisation said roadways reflect a country’s infrastructure maturity and provide access to industrial sectors, terminals and ports.
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Africa’s 10 countries with the largest road networks
| Rank | Country | Roadway coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 750,000 km |
| 2 | Nigeria | 195,000 km |
| 3 | Ethiopia | 180,000 km |
| 4 | Kenya | 161,452 km |
| 5 | DR Congo | 152,373 km |
| 6 | Tanzania | 145,203 km |
| 7 | Mali | 139,107 km |
| 8 | Algeria | 112,696 km |
| 9 | Zimbabwe | 97,267 km |
| 10 | South Sudan | 90,200 km |
Outside Africa, the United States has the world’s largest road network, covering 6,586,610 kilometres.
India is second globally with 6,371,847 kilometres, followed by China with about 5.2 million kilometres.
Brazil ranks fourth with about 2 million kilometres, while Russia occupies fifth place with 1,283,387 kilometres.
South Africa is the only African country in the global top 20, ranking 11th worldwide.
Nigeria’s 195,000 kilometres place it at 28th globally, ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya.
The ranking is based on the total length of usable roadway coverage. It does not assess the quality or condition of roads, nor does it show the percentage of roads that are paved.
