The Nation Newspaper

Tag: rail

  • Exploring new realms of rail development

    Exploring new realms of rail development

    Stakeholders in the transportation sector have advocated for regional connectivity of rail networks to boost inter-city trade and facilitate development, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    Transportation, which is the movement of goods and services and persons from place to place and the various ways by which such movement is accomplished has continued to be buffeted with many challenges and unarguably the rail sub-sector has been much more so, with among others a law which for much of Nigeria’s journey in independence had precluded other sub-nationals (states) and other stakeholders and actors from participating in the development, administration and management of the rail system.

     Though the railway was arguably Nigeria’s oldest public utility still functional since its service began in 1895, its growth has however continued to be stunted by a law, encapsulated in the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act 1954, which mainstreamed anything pertaining to the development under an exclusive list. This ensured that rail development never grew beyond the whims and caprice of the federal government that blocked other state actors from any forays into rail development in the country.

     The journey to a new beginning started in 2002 when the Federal Government unveiled a 25-year Masterplan for rail development that saw the rehabilitation of the old rutted narrow gauge, with the second and third phases being the modernisation phase and the development of the wider, standard gauges and the third being the stabilization phase which is the consolidation of second phase and the expansion of rail networks coverage to all parts of the country.

     To former President Muhammadu Buhari’s glory was the delivery of three standard gauges – the Abuja-Kaduna, the Itakpe-Warri, and the Lagos-Ibadan to Nigerians. He crowned his landmark intervention in the rail sector by signing the NRC amendment 2023 into law on March 15, 2023, commencing a new journey that moves rail development away from the exclusive to the concurrent list.

     One of the direct negative fallout of the stranglehold on the railway sector is the fact that for over 60 years, Nigeria could only add less than 2,500 km of new rail lines to its national rail asset, a poor outing for a country with a population estimated at 230 million.

     Of course, the amendment was a direct fallout of recent developments in the sector that has seen the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and Lagos State, (Africa’s fifth largest economy and Nigeria’s commercial and economic capital), investing massively in the rail sector. Though Lagos’ two light rails (one an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) and the other, Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)) are slated to take off by month end, the FCT’s monorail which also had stopped operation in recent time, would soon be revived.

    As the Federal Government rolls out the N500 billion palliative to cushion the harsh effects of the fuel subsidy removal on the poor masses, Nigerians are on the same page on the need for all levels of government to invest the palliative windfall wisely in order to bring the greatest and best effect to the Nigerians.

    Read Also: ‘Anambra railway masterplan design underway’

     Transport experts and stakeholders argued that the rail and mass transit buses remain the best investment in the short and medium terms to bring the needed succour to people who are at their wit’s end as to what to do to improve their standard of living and reduce the impact of the economic squeeze foisted on them by the new pump price of fuel.

     Stakeholders would love to see other tiers of government intensify efforts in connecting to the five national trunk lines (two narrow gauges –Western and Eastern Lines and three standard gauges namely Abuja-Kaduna; Itakpe-Warri and Lagos-Ibadan, all about 5,000kms of rail networks).

     The stakeholders, who gathered at the second yearly National Transport Technology Conference and Exhibition webinar organised by the Forum for Transport Commissioners on Wednesday, agreed that states could leverage the existing national rail networks to connect cities and towns and move the masses of people cheaper, faster, safer and in ways that are more accessible.

    The webinar was part of the pre-event conversation series ahead of the National Transport Technology Conference and Exhibition 2023 slated for October.

     Tagged “From the Exclusive list to the Concurrent list: Strategies for Rail Transport Development and Investments for Sub-Nationals,” participants proposed regional rail development companies as the best viable option that can be front-loaded to bring succour to the people and called on governors to begin discussion across regional lines to achieve the initiative.

     The lead faculty at the webinar Dr Alban Igwe insisted that at least six regional enterprises such as South-East Rail Service (SERS), South-South Rail Service (SSRS), South-West Rail Service (SWRS), or the NorthWest Rail Service (NWRS), the North-East Rail Service (NERS) and the North-Central Rail Service (NCRS), remain the best way to link the industrial and tourist centres with the cargo airports to create strong regional markets the last seen in Nigeria’s first republic with the three (and later four) defunct regional governments.

    If done, the six geo-political regions would not only be linked with the national rail network but would have achieved Buhari’s lofty dream of connecting all the 36 state capitals by rail as part of the third phase of the 25 years railway transformation masterplan which runs its full circle by 2025.

     For Igwe, rail in the concurrent list represents an excellent opportunity to rethink national development within, outside and without the box.

     Igwe, a Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Nigeria (CILT) board member, said railways are a climate-smart and efficient way to move people and freight, explaining that “railways promote economic growth while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. They are a clean and compact way to move millions of passengers and millions of tons of goods across countries and continents.”

     With a world in a race against climate change and its diverse effects, states could by focusing on railways, aim at optimizing operational and energy efficiency, service attractiveness and slashing maintenance costs, while also placing focus on connecting the industrial centres to stimulate development and improve the quality of life.

    The lead discussant, the Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Mobility and Access Development (CenSMAD) Dr Kayode Opeifa, urged other states of the federation to take a cue from Lagos and the FCT, to develop railway systems. He said such strides need to be sustained in order to ensure that viable alternatives are provided to the travelling public.

     Much as he supports the mushrooming of regional railway enterprises to continue the nation’s rail connectivity, Opeifa, a member of the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and former Vice Chairman of the Presidential Task Team on the restoration of order on Apapa road corridors as well as former Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State, regional bodies must avoid rushing into rail development to avoid a return to the era of abandoned projects.

     For him, states should make judicious use of the national corridors as a co-user and co-connect by constructing a spur to provide intracity connectivity for the people.

     But much more, Opeifa said the current masterplan should be rested, as he called on the Federal Government to convene a high-level committee to come up with another masterplan taking into consideration all developments in the rail industry in recent times and the government’s dream and blueprint for the development of the sector.

     Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Transportation, Tobi Ogunleye, said the theme of the meeting is apt, coming on the heels of the amendment of the obnoxious law that has held the nation’s railway strides down.

    He said the South-West is already discussing along the line of developing a regional railway system to improve regional integration and connectivity. He urged other regions to follow the route and democratize alternative means of transportation to the public.

     CILT Nigeria’s President, Mrs Mfon Usoro, said states should ensure they create policies within the rail system to encourage investors’ participation.

     Usoro said states should avoid toeing the Federal Government’s path which was strewn with mistakes that held down rail development as a way to achieving proper rail network.

     The Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, said the corporation is open to working with states in deepening the rail network in the country. He said lack of proper information has barred so many states from the opportunities embedded in rail transportation.

     He said the corporation would be most willing to cooperate with states where national rail lines pass through, to facilitate intra-city connectivity, adding that states are mandated to start with standard gauge lines.

    For him, the railway’s viability is not measured by naira and kobo, but by its impact on the community.

     Declaring the webinar open, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said Nigeria’s transport sector is beset with challenges and the rail subsector is no exception.

    Nonetheless, the subsector, according to her, has experienced some landmark changes over the years, particularly the legislative framework governing its administration and management, which the former president accented to earlier in the year.

     Ajani said the movement of the sector from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List comes with new challenges which the subnational governments must be abreast of if they must make success of the vision that warranted the change.

     She said: “Previously, the 1999 Constitution placed the rail subsector in the Exclusive List which gave the right of development and ownership of the rail system to solely the Federal Government. However, the demand for decentralised powers resulted in the amendment of the Constitution in 2010 to include it in the Concurrent List allowing the Federal and State Governments to legislate the subsector.”

     Ajani said the FMOT looks forward to engendering greater collaboration between the NRC and other willing state investors.

     The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Transportation Commissioners’ Forum, Mrs Chinwe Uwaegbute, said the webinar was intentional because of the urgent need for subnationals to key into the gust of fresh air offered by the amendment to the railway subsector.

     She said the Forum is happy to drive conversation around the railway since its movement from the exclusive to the concurrent list by the immediate past administration, adding that the process of engaging with stakeholders and partners has helped to conceptualise, revive and harmonize policies and provide a conducive framework and environment to attract investments and investors to states.

     But to some of the stakeholders, achieving rail development would not come until all states have a full-fledged ministry of transportation. The way to go, they argued, is for all the states to first have a Ministry of Transportation and for the states to establish a Department of Railway Services in the ministry to coordinate all issues relating to railway development, administration and management. Not until this is done, achieving rail connectivity may continue to be a mirage.

    QUOTE

    Previously, the 1999 Constitution placed the rail subsector in the Exclusive List which gave the right of development and ownership of the rail system to solely the Federal Government. However, the demand for decentralised powers resulted in the amendment of the Constitution in 2010 to include it in the Concurrent List allowing the Federal and State Governments to legislate the subsector

  • Rail to the rescue 

    Rail to the rescue 

    The August 4 launch of the Lagos Blue Rail commercial shuttle is a game-changing pointer to a Nigerian city centre’s future transportation hub, as it is a solid metaphor of rail coming to the rescue in troubled economic times.

    Yes, the half-empty cynical lobby have crunched biting sour grapes: it took an entire 20 years (2003-2023) to  deliver a mere 13-kilometre rail corridor, almost a third of it though elevated, including over a section of the Lagos Lagoon.

    Still, those 20 years showed the Lagos grit to conquer challenges: first, from Abuja claiming that particular segment: Orile/Mile 2 and the rest of Lagos-Badagry road were a federal corridor; and rail was a federal exclusive as the Obasanjo Presidency blared, just to checkmate a Bola Tinubu governorship, sizzling with uncommon ideas.

    Then, after the Babatunde Fashola governorship (2007-2015) came, well, the “enemy in the house”: for weird reasons, Akinwunmi Ambode, though he made his mark in other areas with established Lagos quality since 1999, abandoned the rail corridor.  

    But again, succeeding Babajide Sanwo-Olu (BOS) righted that wrong with a passion that almost equalled a vengeance — the same temper BOS demonstrated on Lagos HOMS, another rent-to-own city centre Fashola-era housing initiative, which Ambode strangely abandoned.  Yet, BOS spoke no ill of anyone — an ode to clinical focus!

    Read Also: LP’s faction accepts PEPC judgement, says Obi only ‘chased a wild goose’

    So, in 20 years, Lagos scaled every challenge — external or internal — to birth a new urban rail for the rest of Nigeria to follow and copy.  Unlike the Blue Rail, however, the Sanwo-Olu government is delivering the much longer Red Rail, with a virtual sprint, in four years — or even less.  

    From reports, the Red Rail, from Agbado to Oyingbo, is 98% completed and should be humming before December.  The real plaudits for the Red Rail though belonged former President Muhammadu Buhari.  He liberalized the so-called “exclusive” federal rail corridor and opted for healthy cohabitation with states, even ahead of formal constitutional amendments that give that move a legal tooth.

    Imagine what the Nigerian infrastructure stock — and the economy — would have been now, had Obasanjo and previous presidents during the PDP era embraced such liberal and progressive rail thinking?

    Still, for Lagos, it’s time to forge ahead — absolutely no time for a celebratory rest.  Between its January commissioning and now, not a few, even among friends of the Lagos government, feel the commercial launch was a tad delayed.  

    But it’s on now — the ultimate game changer in mass shuttle: the structural and sustainable transport “palliative”.  Imagine the impact on inflation of sustainable and overwhelming rail, moving millions, everyday, from the city centre to the periphery!  Imagine the boost that would gift the economy!

    That is why BOS must double up on his January pledge to stretch, “in no time”, the Blue Rail from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, en route to stretching it to Badagry.  

    Then, work should start, funding allowing, on linking the Red Line to Iddo and Marina, aside from the other rainbow rail corridors, particularly the Green Rail that links Ikoyi-Victoria Island-Lekki to the Marina rail hub.  Go, Lagos, go!

    ·              

  • Blue Line Rail commercial operations begin Monday — LAMATA

    Blue Line Rail commercial operations begin Monday — LAMATA

    The Lagos State Government says it will begin passenger operations on the Blue Line Rail on Monday, Sept. 4.

    The Managing Director, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, made this known on Wednesday at Marina, during a press briefing and test running of the train with newsmen.

    Akinajo said that with feasibility study, the train system would be conveying 175,000 passengers on daily basis.

    She said that though the commercial operations would have begun in the first quarter of 2023, it was delayed to ensure that all modalities were in place.

    ”As you know, the first phase of the blue line was commissioned, the infrastructure completion was commissioned by Mr President (Former President, Muhammadu Buhari) in December.

    ”At the time, we had said to you we would start operations in March. Unfortunately, we did not, by the end of the first quarter, then it was by the end of the second quarter. Unfortunately, we had hiccups with power delivery.

    ”We are here to say that we are completely ready in terms of all operational infrastructure. The reason that we have been delayed is due to the fact that our power provision was delayed,”  Akinajo said.

    ”So we are here to say that we are going to start commercial operations in all of the time that we had completed the civil infrastructure.

    According to her, LAMATA had constantly been carrying passengers because it was testing to ensure that the interface between the infrastructure and all of the works that had been done was sinking excellently well.

    Read Also: With LAMATA, multi-modal transport takes shape in Lagos

    She said that the operation of the rail was going to be the very first real operation to run by electric power, hence, LAMATA was being meticulous on all aspects of the operations.

    ”So, from that perspective, we have been very meticulous in ensuring that all the issues are dealt with, including the provision of the power, health and safety, operational modalities, to ensure the safety of all of our passengers,” the MD said.

    She said that on Sept. 4, commercial operations would begin by 9.00 a.m., with Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State as the first passenger.

    Akinajo said that after Monday, the rail operations would begin by 6.30 a.m till 10.00 p.m on daily basis.

    The LAMATA boss said that the train service, which would run from Mile 2 to Marina, would run 12 trips on daily basis for a period of two weeks, and the service would gradually increase.

    ”We will be stopping at every station. So, this is a terminal station, Mile 2 is a terminal station.

    “At Marina and Mile 2, the trains will be stopping for no more than five minutes. This is a metro service. So this is not one that you can be wandering to come on.

    ” We will be working according to a timetable. That timetable will be available on LAMATA’s website, that timetable will also be available at every station.

    “When the train gets into any station, it will stop for no more than 90 seconds. So, you need to know, and this is it, for us to understand that it is a scheduled service,” she said.

    She said that the Blue Line Rail service had five stations which comprise Marina, National Theatre, Orile-Iganmu, Alaba, and Mile 2.

    Akinajo urged passengers to get their cowry cards ready and top them up for the train service, as that was the means for payment for its use.

    She said that after four weeks of commencement, the train trips would increase to 30 trips.

    The LAMATA boss urged passengers not to pass through the track for their safety, as they were energised.

    She said that the Commissioner of Police had deployed police officers to work with them, adding that passengers most not drink or eat in the train.

    She said that the train fare was N750 from Marina to Mile 2, N500 from Marina to National Theatre and N400 to Iganmu-Orile.

    Akinajo said that within palliative introduced to transport sector through the Governor, passengers would pay N375 from Mile 2 to Marina.

    (NAN)

  • Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo to be linked by rail, FG signs $6.68b contract

    Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti state, will be connected to Lagos-Kano rail line, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said today as he signed a $6.68 billion dollars contract agreement for the Ibadan-Kaduna segment with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

    Amaechi said at the signing ceremony in Abuja that Ado-Ekiti will be connected with a single track branch line from Osogbo.

    He signed the contract on behalf of the Federal Government.

    “This agreement is for the Ibadan-Kaduna rail line, which is part of the Lagos-Kano rail line, the completion time of the contract should be between two to three years, depending on availability of funds,” Amaechi said.

    Amaechi promised that the ministry would be able to provide its counterpart funding between 2018 and 2019 budget provision, stating that the contract was a fulfilment of Federal Government’s plan to complete the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project.

    “The Ibadan-Kaduna standard gauge line will pass through Oshogbo-Ilorin-Minna to Kaduna, with a single track branch line from Oshogbo to Ado-Ekiti.

    “This contract is in fulfilment of Federal Government’s plan to complete the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project started in 2006 and broken into segments for implementation.

    “The segmentation phase commenced from Abuja-Kaduna rail line in 2011, which was completed and commissioned into commercial operation by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.

    “The Federal Government in March 2017 commenced the second leg of the Lagos-Kano line that is currently ongoing and planned to be completed by the end of 2018.

    “The signing of the Ibadan–Kaduna segment contract agreement today concludes all outstanding segments of the Lagos-Kano rail line.”

  • Rail: 1,000 homes free from demolition

    •Amosun: we’ve spent N8b on compensation

    THe rail station initially proposed for the Papalanto community in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, will now be sited at the Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M.K.O) Abiola Trade Fair Complex in Abeokuta, the capital, to better serve the people and businesses.

    The review and the proposed site was predicated on the need to save over 1,000 houses, which fall on the right-of-way.

    Minister for Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, who spoke in Abeokuta during a visit to the site, said hotels and malls would be built in addition to the rail station.

    He said: “We are working well with the Ogun State government as well as Lagos State government. But there are more problems in Lagos State as a result of its cosmopolitan status. It is almost the same problems we have met in Abeokuta as a result of its cosmopolitan status.

    “But, the problems in Abeokuta are not gas and petroleum pipes. In fact, the land we have acquired for the project appears to have been overtaken by the people who are building houses on it. But then, we have made a decision to move to other locations. We believe we should relocate to a better place for business, people and passengers. That is where we are going to now (MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex).

    “What you can see is that we have relocated the station to a conducive place where the demolition of a number of houses will be reduced by more than 1,000. Even when the governor saw the number of houses to be demolished, he fought.

    “So, we have agreed to relocate it to MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex. Now, this is where the station will be. We are building a rail station, a hotel and malls.”

    Also, Governor Ibikunle Amosun hailed the Federal Government’s wisdom to save thousands of houses on the rail’s right-of-way.

    Amosun noted that his administration does not demolish people’s property because of construction, but only when there are no alternatives.

    The governor said N8 billion was spent on compensation to owners of houses.

    According to him, N14 billion will be paid as compensation on demolished property.

    Amosun said: “We met there and we took some decisions together to demolish over 1,000 houses. But I said this would not happen under our watch. Yes, we demolish when we don’t have any alternatives. But this one is a no.

    “That’s what I’ve said on behalf of 7.2 million good people of Ogun State. For instance, in Ogun State, we have to pay about N14 billion on demolition. We have paid in excess of N8 billion by way of compensation.

    “We are now demolishing MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex. But the good news is that we are relocating it to a better place. We are going to put it in another place to avoid demolishing almost 2,000 houses.

    “Imagine the number of families and people the demolition will affect. So, we have said no. They will now create engineering solution here. The trade fair complex will now be our rail station: Abeokuta Rail Station.”

     

  • $40 billion required to complete 2018 rail, sea port projects – Amaechi

    $40 billion required to complete 2018 rail, sea port projects – Amaechi

    The Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi has said about $40 billion will be required to complete rail and sea port projects set for execution in 2018.

    President Muhammadu Buhari also restated his commitment to link all commercial and production centres in the country via rail to develop the economy and promote national integration.

    The Minister, who disclosed this at the Commissioning of Additional Locomotives and Coaches at the Rigasa Station, Kaduna State restated Federal Government commitment to implementing the project.

    But Amaechi noted  that sourcing for required funds have been a major challenge as talks are ongoing with likely funders to ensure successful project implementation.

    The Minister assured at the commissioning of plans to complete the Lagos – Ibadan rail line this year.

    Describing the project as such that has translated promises to reality, he noted that the two new standard gauge and 20 new executive passenger coaches will boost the aim of achieving an efficient rail system in the country.

    Amaechi said: “We have huge challenges we have to face but one assurance we will give Nigerians is that we will do everything possible to ensure we complete Lagos-Ibadan this year.

    “We are negotiating with contractors and funders who will fund the project.

    “If we are able to conclude the arrangements, taking into consideration Nigeria’s law, then, we will start both this year. That include Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, Kano to Jibia, Abuja to Baru, the sea port in Bonny, sea port in Warri and so many other projects.

    “That’s why I said we will need between $36 and $40 billion. Only God knows where we are going to get it from.”

    The Minister lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to developing the sector and further pleaded for supports from the Finance Ministry.

    Earlier, the President said the new rail system will support and ease transportation in the country.

    He restated his commitment to reviving the rail sector.

    He called for stakeholders support especially from the National Assembly and lauded the transport Minister for his hardwork on projects.

  • Govt urged to link dry ports, TTPs with rail

    Govt urged to link dry ports, TTPs with rail

    The Federal Government has been urged to link the Lagos seaports, six approved Inland Dry Ports  (IDPs) and the proposed Truck Transit Parks (TTPs) with rail.

    Stakeholders who spoke with The Nation on the sideline of  a breakfast meeting organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), in collaboration  with the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMoT), in Lagos, said the government needed to link the IDPs and the TTPs with rail to complement the efforts of the NSC in promoting investment in the projects across the country.

    The theme of the event was: Financing Transport Infrastructure, Inland Dry Ports and Truck Transit Parks.

    The IDPs were designed by the NSC as ports of origin for exports, and destination for imports and to ease transportation of cargoes from the seaports to the hinterland and even landlocked neighbouring countries through adequate funding.

    Also, the proposed establishment of the TTPs  by the NSC through the private sector, stakeholders said, also needs the support of the federal, state and local governments for it to be financed adequately since road transport accounts for over 90 per cent of all freight and passenger movement in the country.

    The TTPs and IDPs are being promoted by the NSC and will be built, managed and owned by private investors.

    One of the stakeholders, Mr Segun Oladipupo, decried the movement of goods from Lagos seaports to various parts of the country by trucks.

    He said ICDs and TTPs will be more effective if they are linked by rail.

    Oladipupo added that an effective rail system would ease the movement of goods and persons from Lagos ports to other parts of the country and decongest the ports, whose facilities and link roads had been overstretched.

    Also, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said it was happy that the NSC came up with the initiative of constructing TTPs and IDPs.

    Its National Public Relation Officer (PRO), Dr Kayode Farinto, said the initiative was well conceived and urged stakeholders to support the projects.

    “Aside from creating more job for Nigerians, the  linkage will increase the cargo throughput (imports and exports) of the ports and make it attractive for business.

    “The IDPs  will be to the advantage of Nigerian importers and exporters if they receive cargo directly from bigger vessels. But the problem on our roads will continue if the government fails to link the two facilities by rail,’’ Oladipupo said.

    Meanwhile, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Prof Wole Soyinka and others praised NSC Executive Secretary Mr Hassan Bello for bringing to the front burner investment opportunities in the two projects.

    Speaking at the breakfast meeting, Prof Osinbajo, who was represented by his Senior Adviser on Infrastructure, Mr Kolade Sofolahan, said the nfrastructure deficit presented  opportunities that  must be tapped.

    “We have infrastructural oppor-tunities not a problem in Nigeria. It’s a huge opportunity that everyone should come together to develop a strategy to take advantage of. It is described as crisis, problem but I see it as an opportunity. We have to think about how to grow our roads, TTP and IDP in a way that it is integrated to diversify our economy,”  Osinbajo said.

    Shippers Council, the Vice President said, deserves commen-dation because adequate financing and development of the ICDs and TTPs will create employment and  boost the economy.

    The Federal Government, Prof Osinbajo said, is determined to create a conducive environment for business to thrive, urging local and foreign investors  to tap into the ICDs and TTPs financing.

    Nigeria, Osinbajo insisted, does not have infrastructure deficit but opportunities to be tapped by various investors.

    Nobel Laurate Prof Wole Soyinka also praised the Council for bringing the government, investors and stakeholders together to address the problems confronting the transportation sector of the  economy.

    Soyinka criticised the poor state of troads and called on federal, state and local governments to pay adequate attention to roads.

    “If only it were a mask, a mere carnivalesque costume of macabre design donned by a nation intoxicated by the oil boom, Carcasses of dogs, sheep, goats and chickens, even the occasional cow, or the piles of merchandise strew prodigally on kerbsides, rooting farm produce mashed into the tar, fibre baskets violently ripped open from impact, night and day, and the tell-tale sight of unpaired shoes, stained caps, a necklace, watch or bangle, a floral wrapper and the patches of caked blood, even morsels of human flesh, overlooked or simply ignored-this had become the daily visage of the Nigerian road.

    “How is it possible that day after day, human conveyances, seeing what has gone on before, with all the evidence around them, continue to get sucked into these orifices and armpits of the earth till the very air reeks with carrion. The answer is not hidden, it is loudly propagated in the very conduct of those in whose charge so much humanity is repeatedly entrusted,” Soyinka said.

    He also flayed motorists whom he accused of not being ready to learn and observe protocols while using the roads.

    The Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi,  said the Federal Government was focusing on linking the various transport modes to strengthen intermodal transport of goods and passengers.

    “Government has approved the   concession and the establishment of six Inland Container Depots across the geo-political zones at Erummu, Ibadan in South West, Isiala-Ngwa,Aba in the South East, Funtua, in Katsina and Zawachiki, Kano in the North West, Heipang, Jos in North Central and Jauri, Maiduguri in North East.

    “These projects are at various stages of construction. Construc-tion work at the recently conces-sion Kaduna ICNL dry port has been completed and are awaiting inauguration to commence operations.” Amaechi said.

    To facilitate the speedy delivery of TTPs, Amaechi  said, feasibility study has been conducted for their establishment at Lokoja, Obollo-Afor, Ogere, Jebba, Port Novo creek and Umunede.

    “These locations and other to be identified from time to time in addition to the Ore Sunshine City and the ones being planned by the Kaduna State Government are alternative strategies to address the menance of truck congestion at the seaports and the indiscrimminate parking on road corridors across the country.

    The Minister added that the ICDs have been designated as consoli-dation centres for export of non-oil agricultural commodities and solid minerals products.

    “I intend to very soon direct the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to open talks with the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) to obtain export pro-cessing zone status for the ICDs.”In the ICDS, there are great opportunities for investments, added values including ware-housing, commodity processing, packaging among others,” he said.

     

  • NRC begins Lagos-Kano rail services

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said it has commenced operations on Lagos to Kano rail services after two months of Jebba-Mokwa washout out as a result of heavy rainfall.

    Its Director of Operations, Mr Niyi Alli, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that the corporation has resumed both passengers and freight services along the routes.

    “We have resumed operations after the unfortunate washout incident along Jebba-Mokwa road. The normal services have resumed between Western Line and the North in terms of haulage of freight and passengers. Necessary steps have been taken by the corporation to ensure such disaster be prevented in the nearest future,” he said.

    Alli said not only the railway way affected by the disaster but also the major road between Jebba to Mokwa town.

    He said adequate measures have been put in place to ensure the rail services were improved on a daily basis.

    “Adequate supervisions have been put in place on the tracks to prevent any disaster in future. The development would prevent further incident in order not to have much impact on the train services.

    “We are looking at the various washouts prone areas and ensuring necessary steps taken to prevent future occurrence at the same time minimise the impacts,” Alli said.

    The director said continuous rain has affected the quick execution of the project since June.

    NAN reports that NRC Managing Director Mr Fidet Okiria, had told the newsmen on June 16 that heavy rainfall had flooded and damaged railway line linking Jebba to Makwa routes.

  • Rail to carry 80 percent of cargoes by Dec

    Rail to carry 80 percent of cargoes by Dec

    About 80 per cent of cargoes landing at Apapa Ports, Lagos would be freighted by the railway by December, the Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi has said.

    He said more locomotives and wagons, which would make this realisable, were expected before December, adding that when  they arrive, Nigerians would witness a huge improvement in cargo business.

    He said the government was committed to the Nigerian Railway transformation to ensure that it takes its place as the heart of the transportation initiatives of the government.

    Amaechi spoke through the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Mr Fidet Okhiria at the weekend.

    He said since independence, the Corporation had been the backbone of the nation’s agricultural revolution, adding that though the train lost some grounds substantially to trailers and other articulated vehicles in the sector, the railway is making sufficient inroad in line with the focus of the government.

    “We are working to ensure that the railway is repositioned and given its pride of place. We are determined to ensure that before December at least 80 percent of all cargoes at least from the sea are carried by the rail. That is why the repair work on the narrow gauge linking to Apapa is ongoing. We have also insisted that the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line must terminate at Apapa. That is why the government is also determined to commence the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail line, which is a Port to Port idea. When all these fully materialises, we would have a robust system that recognises that all the modes of transportation especially railway have their fair share of traffic re-distribution.”

    Amaechi disclosed that the two locomotives delivered to the Corporation on Thursday were not part of the 20 promised by General Electric (GE), but part of the ones earlier ordered by the government as part of its commitment to the upgrading of the services provided by the corporation. He said 10 more locomotives would be delivered in September.

    Earlier, the minister had promised that GE would bring in 20 locomotives and 200 coaches by last May 29, to help jumpstart its involvement in the railway system, as a concessionnaire of the narrow gauge.

    Amaechi added that when the GE finally delivers, the corporation would have enough rolling stock to deploy and provide service to its customers.

    He said these locomotives could still come in before year end.

    He said the process of concessioning the narrow gauge is ongoing, disclosing that the federal government has appointed transaction advisors to perfect the guiding document for the exercise.

    He however assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would take decisions that would be in the best interest of the country.

     

  • Reforming Nigeria’s rail system

    When British colonialists built the first railway in Nigeria in 1898 linking Lagos and Abeokuta in the old Western region, which is today’s  South-west Nigeria, it was only Britain, the United States of America and a few other countries that had such facilities at the time. Naturally, anyone would expect that almost 119 years down the line, Nigeria should have built an excellent National Rail Network with latest models of fast-moving trains seen in the developed economies, but that is not the case here.

    Paradoxically, while many countries that started train services long after Nigeria have perfected that mode of transportation by using it for efficient human transportation and bulk cargo haulage, our system remains in a near-comatose state. In countries like Germany, France, United Kingdom, even in South Africa and Egypt, for instance, underground and surface rail tracks are linked to the seaports, airports and land borders. This ensures efficient movement of people and facilitates quick distribution of needed goods like machinery, bulk cargo like cements, wheat, fertilizers, precious stones, perishable and non-perishable food items like tomatoes, cows and medicals, among others.

    In South Africa, the Metrorail operates commuter rail services in the major urban areas. The Metrorail system consists of over 470 stations, over 2,220km of tracks and carries over 1.7 million passengers daily. In the United Kingdom, trains are preferred to buses and, in some cases, planes, due to efficiency. If you want to travel to France from UK, many prefer trains to planes on daily basis. In all these countries, modern light rail, monorail and latest electric trains are rapidly replacing the old locomotives. According to global records, Europeans and Asians operates the fastest high speed trains in the world, as seen in Shanghai maglev, Harmony CRH 380A and Targo Avril. Some go as fast as 360km/hr, making them excellent alternatives to air transportation.

    But unfortunately, today Nigeria still relies heavily on the slower locomotive trains (some as slow as 35km/hr) that pollute the atmosphere. Worse still, the country is yet to develop hubs and spokes system for the trains to ensure total coverage of Nigeria. The railways remain a major revenue earner for operators and government alike. It is also a major employer of labour, which informs why developed nations seek to sustain and improve the sub-sector. Some transport analysts have described our railway services as a monumental disgrace, attributing its perennial wobbly and sorry state to blind politics, corruption, unchecked graft, ethnic differences and other challenges. They insist the railway sector should be well-developed as Nigerian roads are death traps, while air travel remains elusive to the masses due to their weak purchasing power.

    A retired Director of the Transport Ministry once said that some haulage cabals, in their selfish bid to take over the lucrative inter-state transport/haulage business, masterminded the systematic killing of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) so that their businesses could thrive. They did not want to compete with the railway, especially for the haulage of heavy goods. Trains will definitely be more efficient and cheaper. They bribed their way to ensure that successive Transport Ministers and Managing Directors of the NRC were their anointed candidates. So the transport cabals worked with these political appointees to make the railway sub-sector moribund. This is so because every year funds earmarked for rail track mordernisation through the budget were squandered. Rail tracks were never maintained, while some of the tracks have been washed off by erosion and all that. The trains were in a comatose state. Many of the coaches have been abandoned for decades to rot away. Yet if you go to the NRC office at Ebutte Meta, you will see activities, but no productivity. They languish there doing nothing but feeding fat on the perennial system rot.

    For many decades, the nation’s rail system has been starved of the political will to move it to the next level.  The last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan did some work to revitalise our rail system. Some experts noted that the revamping of the sector by the last administration was more of a political campaign strategy than a long-term repositioning effort. They alleged that the quality of the rail tracks and coaches deployed were not top-of -the-range as the lion’s share of the NRC funds was diverted to finance campaigns. With the lack of political will to sincerely revamp the sector, massive graft was allegedly uncovered.

    But in recent times, it has not been business as usual. With what the current minister is doing there and his appointments in the railway sub-sector, things are taking shape and our railway sector is coming back to life.  This is why these cabals are not happy with the current Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi. They were most unhappy with President Buhari because of this appointment. President Buhari has vowed to clean the rot in the NRC as his administration intends to use train services to open up businesses at various agrarian towns and villages that have been denied access to modern transportation, with the construction of Lagos-Ibadan rail project and Abuja-Kaduna-Kano that will eventually terminate in Lagos and that of Lagos to Kano. Then with Calabar-Port Harcourt-Aba-Onitsha-Benin-Lagos rail project being undertaken by the Chinese Government, I believe for the first time we have seen a political leader who has the political will to do the needful in this sector. I believe this sector will create over one million jobs, both formal and informal jobs.

    With reference to the specific Lagos-Kano and Calabar to Lagos rail projects, I will like to state that the two projects are very important projects to the Nigerian masses, and I believe that is why this present government included them in 2016 and 2017 budgets. We in the South- east who travel almost every day by road will like these projects to be completed. We will be very grateful if President Buhari completes Calabar-Port Harcourt-Aba-Onitsha-Benin-Lagos. I believe when it is completed, these routes will be the busiest of all. If Lagos-Ibadan rail project is completed, I believe it will reduce the populations in Lagos and the cost of housing will come down. This is because if I am from Ogun, I do not have any business living in Lagos.  When I know that with the fast train I can be in Lagos in the next 30 minutes, why pay heavily for rent in Lagos. It can equally help to reduce accidents on our roads and save our environment from pollution.

     

    • Paschal, a public affairs analyst, sent this piece from Awka