Urgent attention needed to revamp Eastern railway corridor in
Nigeria

The railway infrastructure is a major legacy of the colonial
government bequeathed to Nigeria at independence. This critical
mode of transportation played a major role during colonial
administration of Nigeria. Much of the trade at the time, which trans
versed Nigeria was facilitated by the railway.
From then Northern Nigeria, agricultural produce moved seamlessly
on rail tracks dragged along by coal powered locomotives and later
diesel engines down to the port cities of Lagos and port Harcourt.
Communities along railway lines and even those far from it took
major advantage of this transportation mode to move person’s and
goods all through colonial times and well beyond the independence
of Nigeria.
Two major lines were built by the British colonial government in
Nigeria-the Lagos to Kano line and the port Harcourt to Maiduguri
line. These two lines cut across much of the south west, North
Central, North East, South South, south east, middle belt and north
East.

Owing to neglect, much of the railway infrastructure collapsed
leaving a once very vibrant sector comatose. Efforts have been made
by the current government to rehabilitate the railway infrastructure
and to add new line’s.
Though started under President Jonathan’s administration, the
commencement of operations on the Abuja Kaduna rail line is a
significant achievement of president Buhari government.
The Lagos Ibadan rail line is also in operation with ongoing plans to
extend its operations to the ancient city of Kano. The warri itapke
line is also up and running while arrangements have been concluded
to build a new railway line from Kano passing through Katsina state
to Maradi in Niger Republic.
However, in the midst of all efforts to rehabilitate railway transport
across Nigeria, almost nothing significant has been done under the
current administration to revamp the eastern railway corridor
reputed to be a viable transport link across its stretch of operations
in days gone by.
At its peak, this link moved millions of Nigerians daily from the South
South, through the vibrant commercial zone of the south east to the
middle belt onward to the North East ancient city of Maiduguri.
The neglect and waist currently visible on the eastern railway
corridor leaves one in shock over the depth of decay on a once
vibrant system which many from the region and beyond took great
pride in. The loud and sustained blast from the horn of the railway
locomotive passing through villages and small towns became a
familiar tune to many privileged to have rail tracks cross their
communities.

Sadly, those glory days seem to be over in view of the sorry state of
the rail transport infrastructure in the entire South East and South
South of the country.
For many years, the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri railway line has been
moribund. Not a single train has journeyed through the system in
close to a decade leaving the rail tracks and other installations in a
state of abandonment.
Much of the tracks have been lost to soil erosion while the stations
along the lines are at various stages of decay owing to disuse. Some
of the tracks have been converted to refuse disposal bins at various
points along the entire stretch on the once vibrant transportation
system built and serviced from colonial times.
While rail transport infrastructure is being revived in other parts of
the country and in some cases new lines being added, the south east
and south South have been left unattended by the government
thereby shutting out well over eighty million Nigerians from
accessing this major mass transit system.
Ironically it is worth noting that the minister in charge of transport in
the last six years under the current administration is from the region
that has been left out in the ongoing rehabilitation and revitalisation
of railway infrastructure in the country by the federal government.
Trade, commerce and mass movement of agricultural produce in the
south East and South South was facilitated through the railway
network cutting through both major and minor cities, towns and
villages in the region and beyond. Much of the development in South
Eastern Nigeria was made possible through railway transport.
The urgent revival of the railway system in South Eastern Nigeria is a
major ‘work in waiting’ which if done will help assuage the feeling of
many in the region of being neglected by the government in its
scheme of development. Nevertheless, a rehabilitation of the railway
network in the region will be to the benefit of the entire country and
not just the region in question.
Major economies of the world continue to place a premium on rail
transportation, modernizing their existing infrastructure. At some
point, the push became who would manufacture trains that would
go the fastest and yet be convenient and safe for travellers. Modern
trains are eco-friendly with very low carbon footprint as they
connect major cities in countries of Europe, the Americas, China and
other parts of Asia.
On the African continent, the nation of Egypt has taken off on an
ambitious plan to build the most modern and fastest railway system
on the continent budgeting billions of dollars for the project. Nigeria
with the largest economy on the continent certainly shouldn’t aim
for anything less. And while at it, no region or part of the country
should be left unattended or short changed in the process