The groundbreaking of a wagon assembly plant in Nigeria, last Saturday, has brought closer home a new bouquet of opportunities for the host community and Nigeria, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
THE atmosphere in Kajola, Ogun State, on Saturday, was electrifying. The young and old, male and female, toddlers and babies straddled to the back of their mothers, emptied themselves into the wagon assembly plant site to behold a wonder that will change the trajectory of their lives and their peasant living forever.
Even in the Southwest, Kajola is a relatively unknown community. The coming of an assembly plant was, for them, a dream. Most of them looked stunned like the Biblical Zion, for whom, the Lord returned its captivity. Last Saturday, the step that would change the story and destiny of their nativity started. By the time it fully comes on stream, Kajola will become known, not only in the West Africa sub-region, not only in Africa but across the globe as a train city, for the production of train wagons and sundry parts.
The project was a necessary icing on the nation’s railway modernisation Masterplan agenda, which the Muhammadu Buhari administration kicked off in 2006.
When Minister for Transportation Rotimi Amaechi requested that the contractor – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) – establish an assembly plant in Nigeria, it looked too far-fetched, but last year, it signed the dotted lines and a year later, the groundbreaking of what will emerge as a breathtaking plant is taking off.
The feasibility study carried out by CCECC indicated such investment would be richly rewarding and that Nigeria could become a hub for railway rolling stock and hardware for Africa for the production, assembly, maintenance and procurement of wagons and auxiliary services.
This is more so as many African countries are waking up to embracing the rail systems as the backbone of mass transit planning for passenger and cargo traffic.
According to Amaechi, the plant is a wholly Chinese investment and Kajola was selected by the Chinese corporation itself after a careful feasibility study of all locations along the Lagos-Ibadan corridor.
The plant, said the minister, is the crystallisation of the Lot II of the Lagos-Kano standard gauge rail line (Lagos-Ibadan standard Gauge), on March 17, 2017, with the extension to Apapa.
He said the plant would service the wagon needs of the various railway systems among which are the Itakpe-Warri-Ajaokuta railway, the Lagos-Calabar coastline rail project and the eastern line rail project.
He said: “It was in furtherance of these objectives that the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Messrs CCECC signed a deed of agreement for the establishment of this plant on March 17, 2018, to begin the production and assembly of rolling stocks, spare parts and maintenance equipment in Nigeria.
“Consequently Messrs CCECC conducted a feasibility study in which the choice of Kajola, Ogun State was arrived at as scheduled location for the project.”
He added that the wagon assembly plant was a direct investment of Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited and seen as part of the gains of the contract signed for the building of the standard gauge in Nigeria. “This would be the first of its kind in Nigeria, and the first batch of wagons to be used on the completion of this Lagos-Ibadan rail project is expected to be produced from this plant,” he said.
He said the project would be able to generate about 5000 jobs and in the long run, it would be able to transfer rolling stock technology to Nigerian youths and “from here we expect to be exporting wagons and expertise to other African countries, thereby conserving our foreign exchange which can be deployed to other areas of development.”
He said the vision of the ministry “is to develop a robust local capacity to construct, sustain and maintain the new railway system, adding that the coming of the assembly plant is a major pillar in the entire mix.”
Amaechi added that the wagon assembly plant would meet localised production of wagons, which would be deployed to the modernised rail tracks.
Read Also: Buhari to Muslims: shun violence, extremism
He described it as a breakthrough in the manufacturing of Nigerian railway wagon equipment, which will greatly improve the comprehensive strength of the Nigerian Railway and boost a broad development prospect for the nation’s railway transportation sub-sector.
He said upon completion, the project would increase available employment opportunities, improve opportunities for technology transfer for Nigerians and accelerate the development of the nation’s railway system, technology and industry.
CCECC Nigeria Ltd Managing Director Michael Jiang said the corporation decided to invest in an assembly plant in Nigeria to further demonstrate its confidence in the giant strides of the government in developing reliable railway super-structure for the country.
He said: “We are very proud to be part of the history that Nigeria is making today. CCECC is impressed by the commitment of the Nigerian government and the Federal Ministry to modernise the railway.”
Giving the project overview of the assembly plant, Jiang said the plant “is collocated and built with Kajola Locomotive and Rolling Stocks Depot (Kajola LRD) of the Lagos-Ibadan Railway project.”
The project, he disclosed, shares the entry and exit line with Kajola LRD the components, raw and ancillary materials used in wagon assembly are manufactured in China and transported to Nigeria.
According to him, processes, such as welding, assembly, painting, drying and testing will be carried out in the wagon assembly plant to complete the assembly of new wagons. The assembly plant will also have an unloading track, a train braking testing track, two inspection and acceptance tracks and one shunting neck.
“In the wagon assembly plant, there are large parts unloading shed, car body production workshop, inspection and acceptance workshop, painting and drying room, metering room, equipment maintenance room, hazardous cargo warehouse and depot office building, living buildings and related ancillary facilities.”
According to Jiang, the assembly plant when fully on stream, will be able to produce 500 wagons every year, and can produce all categories of wagons such as the open wagon, container flat wagon, tank wagon and box wagon.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described the plant as an important project for the production of rolling stock, spare part and maintenance equipment needed for the railway modernisation programme being undertaken by the Buhari administration.
“This ceremony is not just another event, it is historic for a president for whom the railway modernisation is a passion, he sees the railway as not just an alternative and comfortable mode of travel, it holds the master key to transforming commerce in Nigeria and across the continent. By linking our ports to a rail line and now building a rolling stock locally, import and export within and out of Africa’s largest market will be completely transformed.”
He said the siting of the project exemplified the President’s commitment as contained in Executive Order 5 to prioritise Nigerians and Nigerian enterprises in the innovation, production and procurement of engineering projects and services.
“The plant, as proposed will offer an important platform for engineers, technicians, artisans and other professionals to gain specialised skills required for the production and maintenance of rolling stocks.”
He urged Messrs CCECC to “move on very quickly to the assembly and construction of coaches and locomotives. This for us will be a significant breakthrough.”
He lauded the leadership of the host community, Kajola, and its environs, for the support for the take-off of the assembly plant and other relevant Federal Government Projects in the area. “It is imperative for the host communities to continue to support the government efforts by effectively cooperating with the contractor in safeguarding these lasting investments.”
He expressed the hope that the initiative by the CCECC would be the beginning of a massive industry around building railway equipment and infrastructure.
A trader and Kajola resident, Mrs Tawakalitu Ahmed, lauded the Federal Government.
“I must confess that we did not know that what they plan to site here is such a huge plant, but now that we know, we are grateful to the Federal Government, the Vice President and the CCECC for bringing an assembly plant to us in Kajola. Even without the completion of the project, things have started getting better for the people as the market has improved artisans and technicians now have work to do,” she said.
Mr Solomon Adeyemi, a landlord in the area, said: “We are very happy. This has brought us so much joy and honour; we are impressed that the Federal Government situates this here.”
He said the project would add value to land in and around Kajola and urged developers to begin to look towards the axis for good returns on investment as “a new city will emerge from the wastelands of Kajola.”He added: “We never expected this when we bought land here. When we came here it was a thick forest but with this plant, so many developments will be attracted here.”
He urged the government to fast track the provision of stable electricity supply, potable water schools, hospital and other social amenities that would make life worth living for the people.
Chief Ahmed Oloyede, a resident, said the plant would boost the economic development of Kajola and transform it from an agrarian community to a rail city that would be renowned all over the world.
Micheal Olatunji, a retired headmaster living in Kajola, said the plant when completed would boost socio-economic activities of the area.
Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker Olakunle Oluomo lauded the Buhari administration for the project, which, he said, will open up the area and provide direct and indirect employment opportunities for residents.
“This is fantastic. The plant will open up Kajola economically and there would be more jobs for youths and opportunities to even be entrepreneurs in auxiliary services that would be created by the plant.
“The state will develop in terms of mass movement of people here, trading, sales, schools and others.”
Olu of Ifo Oba Samuel Oladipupo and head of the traditional institution in the area described himself as the luckiest to have witnessed the epochal event. He said the assembly plant would transform Kajola and Ifoland.
Oladipupo said: “We are happy with this development that is why I am here with all my chiefs and Baales even without any official invitation. It will bring happiness and progress to our people and my domain.”
Leave a Reply