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Reactivating the Nigerian Railways
CHUMA IFEDI
THE
Nigerian Railway Corporation which is the oldest federal government parastatal
continues to face a plenitude of vicissitudes on its path to rehabilitation and
modernisation. Both internal and external inputs have been explored to
reactivate its operations, enhance its productivity and possibly make it invest
in the corporation. Two of the companies are keen on running the organisation
under a proposed concession arrangement. They are Spoornet of South Africa and
CANAC of Canada. Last May, the federal government raised a ten-man committee to
work out modalities to transform the establishment. It will work out a scheme
for implementing the 25 year national development plan of the railways with a
view to integrate it within the West African transport network.
The history of the Nigerian Railways is
plagued by several plans and programmes of the federal government none of which
has been fully implemented. When the first rail line was built between 1898 and
1909, it linked the sea port of Lagos to Ibadan and Jebba. In 1911, the second
line was opened between Kano and Bare. With the construction of a bridge across
the River Niger at Jebba in 1915, the two lines were joined in Minna. In
subsequent years, the rail network extended from Zaria to Kaura Namoda and from
Kano to Nguru as well as from Ifaw Junction to Idogo. The latest extension was a
640 kilometre line from Kuru to Maiduguri which connected the extreme
North-Eastern part of the country. The rail mode provides transport link across
the country comprising 3505 kilometres of single track route. Due to the
deplorable neglect of successive federal governments which devote more attention
to road development, the Nigerian rail system has made very little progress
despite over 105 years of its existence.
A promising new lines system was proposed
during the National Development Plan 1975 to 1980 for the construction of a
standard line of 1.435 metre gauge in addition to the old 1.007 metre gauge. The
total length was to be 960 kilometres. Well meaning Nigerians hailed this
strategic scheme in the Third National Development Plan. Unfortunately, like
other programmes relating to the railways, this project died. New lines were
springing up in other African railways but that of the Nigerian Railways
collapsed like a pack of cards.
In 1979 the federal government signed a
pact with the Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) to
manage the Nigerian Railway Corporation for a period of three years. The purpose
of the agreement was to revitalise the rail system, restore its competitive
advantage, foster public confidence and motivate the corporation to fulfil its
obligations as an effective public enterprise. At the end of the contract
period, very little was achieved. The Nigerian factor of corruption by those in
government virtually frustrated processes intended to transform the organisation,
revamp and modernise its operations.
The China Civil Engineering Construction
Company (CCECC) arrived in 1995 to continue where the Indians stopped. The
contract sum was $528 million. Once again, the programme was aborted. An
agreement was again reached with DAEWOO of South Korea to facilitate the
assembly of locomotives, coaches and wagons. This plan also failed. The federal
government explored the scheme of restructuring the Nigerian Railway Corporation
into various autonomous units of Engineering department, track authority,
inspectorate board as well as a central holding company. Once again, the
proposal was abandoned. On its own initiative, the Nigerian Railway Corporation
went ahead to commercialise some of its units such as medical, advertising and
estate divisions. This pragmatic action is yielding substantial revenue to the
coffers of the parastatal and boosting its productivity.
Apart from frequent condemnation of the
railways, President Olusegun Obasanjo has done nothing to improve the operations
of the Nigerian Railway Corporation. He proposed construction of a rail line to
link the National Fertiliser Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) with Onne port in
Rivers State is still a pipe dream. So also the proposed standard gauge line
between Abuja and Minna and Abuja and Kaduna. The much orchestrated East-West
rail line is not yet implemented. The president continues to beat about the bush
on the issue of rail development without any clear focus or sense of direction.
To aggravate matters, the rail sector is totally marginalised. Salaries of
workers are not paid regularly. Budget provisions are not released to ensure
infrastructural development. At a time when in 2004 roads are being revamped all
over the federation, the capital allocation for the Nigerian Railway Corporation
has not been released in September 2004. Pensioners of the parastatal have not
been paid for 26 months and some of them have died of poverty and destitution.
So far, President Obasanjo has contributed to killing the rail made by his
negative and retrogressive policy towards the rail sector. He is more of an
obstacle than an asset in railway development.
The federal government should reappraise
its attitude to the critical railway problem which continues to jeopardise
operations of the organisation. Government activities has been in fits and
starts usually ending up in fiasco. The president seems absolutely confused in
finding a lasting solution to the difficulties which the corporation is going
through. He started a 25-year national plan for the railways and apparently
discarded it. He has appointed several committees to revamp the railways and
nobody knows the outcome of such reports. He invites consultants from South
Africa, Canada, Europe, Korea and practically from all over the world. Yet,
nothing concrete has been achieved.
If indeed the federal government wants to
privatise the Nigerian railways, we recommend the British model. The British
Railtrack is responsible for investment in infrastructure and maintains control
operations, signalling and train scheduling. It also has overall responsibility
for safety on the railway. The running of trains is separated from maintenance
of infrastructure and there is open access to the tracks for freight and
passenger services. Railtrack regulates access and competition.
The federal government must really invest
enough funds in the railway mode to improve its technology and operations. Many
more locomotives and rolling stock must be procured to cope with the demand for
services. The current illusion that the railway system can be operated on
peanuts is totally myopic. Railway expansion is inevitable in the context of the
prevailing transport explosion in the country. This is without prejudice to
whatever restructuring pattern that may be envisaged and the construction of the
proposed metroline. The proposed assembly of locomotives and rolling stock
should be prosecuted without further delay pending our capacity to manufacture
them. The Nigerian Railway Corporation deserves greater autonomy to save it from
the suffocating strangehold of ministerial bureaucracy.
President Olusegun Obasanjo should make up
his mind on his expectations of the rail mode and direct appropriate and
adequate investment to achieve his goals. If the current neglect and lack of
focus on the railway reactivation process continues, the Nigerian Railway
Corporation will fold up sooner than later, like the Nigerian National Shipping
Line and the Nigerian Airways Limited.
•Mr. Ifedi is a retired director-personnel, Nigerian
Railway Corporation.
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