Railway service was the major means of transportation in
Nigeria since the country’s independence in 1960 to the
1980s.It was much more convenient and cheaper for
commuters and haulage purposes. There were so many
rail lines linking big cities across the country with
commercial activities in its major routes.
It was in the military era that the railways lost its
glorious past as Nigerians took to other means of
transportation through road, sky and water in the riverine
areas. The recent determination of the federal
government’s towards the revitalization of the railway
was a welcome development. President Olusegun
Obasanjo not only came up with the idea of a modernized
train but has since signed a $8.3billion agreement
contract for the construction of railway line with the
Chinese government. The planned project of railway
modernization was signed in two tranches which includes
the main contract covering the first rail that would
connect the nation’s economic capital Lagos to the
largest commercial city in the north, Kano which would
be concluded in five years by a Chinese firm and an
Italian consultancy outfit.
At the signing of the contract President Obasanjo said the
project is a part of an integrated transportation system
for the country covering land, air and maritime transport.
He added that the construction of the new standard
gauge track north-south was only the firth phase of a
modernization programme that would cover two major
longitudinal lines. The second would link Port-Harcourt
and Jos and another would link all the 36 states’ capitals
in Nigeria.
Several factors must have led the sudden interest of the
Government on the project. Nigeria has lately experienced
series of plane crashes where it loses countless lives and
property. The air transport is feared as the fastest and
the most dangerous route to human destruction
considering the calibre of personalities that had perished
in the incidents. With the negative signal from the
aviation sector, the rich are scared of using their money
to buy death.
Road transportation was originally planned to ‘feed’ the
railway but it has so far captured a larger part of total
transportation business in the country. Though it may
have added advantage over the railways because of its
degree of mobility and cost effective infrastructure, it has
its ups and downs. As quicker and flexible the road
transportation may be, there are constant risk of accident,
bad road and attack from armed robbers. In fact most of
criminal activities are undertaken through the road
transportation
On the other hand, Ports are essential to sea trade in
exportation and importation of goods through ship, but
marine businesses are restricted to continental shelf and
therefore the goods cannot be ferried easily into the
hinterland. Similarly, communities that travel on boats
have to contend with the militancy of pirates and restless
youth.
Going by the limitations above of other means of
transportation, it is unfortunate that railway has not
played important roles in Nigeria as it has in other
countries even in countries like South Africa and India
where their social and economic activities have improved
tremendously through the railway services.
The revival of railways service which is more protective
and affordable would further reduce the rates of road
accident, plane crash and armed attacks amongst other
negative vices. It would also improve efficient service
delivery on movement of goods and services like
petroleum products, food items, animals, spare parts and
bulky materials (mails) amongst others. There is other
side of sightseeing that serves as another source of
tourist attraction for passengers/travelers especially for
the inquisitive ones who wish to know more on our
environments. While it is commendable the effort of the
Government to reconstruct the abandoned railways and
its terminals, there is the need for consciousness on the
side of policy makers and the citizens to make this lofty
project a reality. Adequate security must be provided
while other social services and incentive that would
encourage the patronage are put in place.
While the firms involved in the construction of new rail
lines embark on the project, it will be appropriate if the
Minister of transport or the chairman Nigeria Railways
Corporation would encourage members of executive
councils, legislature, and judiciary at all tiers to patronage
the service to be provided when it comes on board. After
all it is easier to provide luxury and official amenities in
the train than other means of transport. This may include
television set with satellite station, bathroom, library,
drinking bar, living and bedroom. In fact, it may be luxury
on the land.
http://www.gamji.com/article6000/NEWS6554.htm



'NO NATION has achieved holistic development
without a coherent, integrated, efficient and reliable
transportation system', explained Nigerian President
Olusegum Obasanjo on August 9, setting out his
vision for the revitalisation of his country's 3500 km
rail network in a special radio broadcast.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises has already
commissioned CPCS Transcom to draw up three
operating concessions (RG 7.06 p373), but Obasanjo
said that 'even this requires minimal rehabilitation
to get value for money from concessionaires.'
Responding to a State Council report released on
July 19 that recommended complete reconstruction
and conversion from 1067mm gauge to standard at
a cost of US$8·3bn, the President agreed that work
should start immediately. 'By the grace of God,
contract formalities will be signed this month and
construction work will commence immediately
thereafter', he announced.
Work is to begin with the 1126 km Lagos - Kano
corridor, to be undertaken in five stages over four
years for US$1bn, funded by a US$2·5bn soft loan
from China. A new line is to be built for 100 km
from Minna to Abuja, continuing for 205 km beyond
the capital to Kaduna. Phase II would see
reconstruction of the Port Harcourt - Jos route.
Design-Build-Maintain contracts are to be let for
reconstruction to permit 150 km/h passenger and
80 km/h freight trains, with a maximum gradient of
1·5% and a minimum curve radius of 1200m. Diesel
traction, electronic interlockings and a 23 tonne
axleload are envisaged.
'The construction of the rail line will employ tens of
thousands of Nigerians immediately', Obasanjo
explained. 'The entire project will promote
technology transfer, the building of new skills and
the development of allied industries. As far as
possible, local materials will be used.'
No-one disputes that a new impetus is badly
needed. NRC traffic has collapsed from 11·3 million
passengers and 2·9 million tonnes of freight in 1964
to 1·6 million passengers and less than 100000
tonnes last year. There was a brief upturn in
1979-82 when Rites was brought in to run the
railway by the former military regime. But a recent
review found just five locomotives in working order.
The only lines currently operating are those from
Lagos to Kano and Port Harcourt to Madiguri.
It remains to be seen whether the government can
muster the commitment and resources to complete
the work this time, or whether it will fade away like
so many previous revival attempts over the past four
decades. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/obasanjo-commits-to-regauging-plan.html

http://www.proshareng.com/news/8099

nuclearboy:
Day by day, it just worsens

So what then has this govt initiated aside hatred and divisiveness? The only legacy seems to be Dokubo ranting and some goats screaming "Jo till 2015"

OREMUSSANCTUS:
See dem, usless people saying nonsense.

shachris03:


if you would at least use your dormant brain, just once sire, you should attack the 'useless' post and tell us what part of it is useless.

OREMUSSANCTUS:
wld luv to counter dis thread, buh I nid a fan. Mouth odour everywhere on dis thread, I can't survive for 30 second.

Orijin101:

Bro, can't you just be sensible for once and stop reasoning with that lizard brain of your, na from you i go first hear say odour dey come out from phone..... MUMU

OREMUSSANCTUS:
wld luv to counter dis thread, buh I nid a fan. Mouth odour everywhere on dis thread, I can't survive for 30 second.

OREMUSSANCTUS:
huh! Ur brain is being under-utilized, tink wide, expand ya reasoning scale, too low and poor. GEJ till tinubu is cured of mouth odour by rev king!

meforyou1:
government is all about continuity.

OREMUSSANCTUS:
huh! Ur brain is being under-utilized, tink wide, expand ya reasoning scale, too low and poor. GEJ till tinubu is cured of mouth odour by rev king!

CyberTerrorist:
So OBJ spent 8 years designing the railway lines?

shachris03:


Read my friend. Read. The contract was awarded in 2006. And yes, foundations are not built in a day. The most important part of a building is the foundations.

CyberTerrorist:
so he waited since 1999 until 2006 before awarding the contract? Tell me another story abeg..

shachris03:


When OBJ took over from the military, many institutions in Nigeria were in disarray. It was one step at a time bro. Thank God he finally awarded it. That was all that mattered.

CyberTerrorist:
so he waited since 1999 until 2006 before awarding the contract? Tell me another story abeg..

chemali:
Obasanjo signed a contract in 2006 to construct double railway tracks for the country between Lagos and Kano in 2006. This was to be financed by the proceeds from the Excess Crude Account. Yar'Adua stopped this because he felt it was better to share the proceeds of the ECA to state governors than use it to finance a developmental project that would have change the face of Nigeria.

In 2010, it was agreed that the current tracks between Lagos and Kano will be rehabilitated (not new ones as Obasanjo proposed) and a high speed rail will be constructed between Lagos and Ibadan.

The current rail project isn't the same one Obj envisioned. It's a dumbed down version that will see people spending more than 24 hours by train for a journey between Lagos and Kano rather than the 4 hours the Obj vision would have brought about! However,the current plan also will see standard gauge tracks constructed between some cities and this will eventually reduce the travel time. The re-scoped project wasn't envisioned during the GEJ regime but during the Yar'Adua regime. Now, [b]credit should be given to GEJ [/b]that he has at least followed through with the project albeit at a slow pace. This project is also being financed on loans which brings the question why is our savings depleted? Where are the mega projects?

CyberTerrorist:
so awarding contracts is an achievement for 8 years?

shachris03:


yes, credit should be given to him. But not him lying to our faces that he initiated the project. He should give credit to the previous administration too. Government is all about continuity.