obailala:
A robust transport infrastructure and availability of power supply are the two most important ingredients for industrialisation. An industrialised Nigeria is a diversified Nigeria.

correct but railway is not directly diversification. Of what use is an efficient railway system when there is no power. Point still remains they are not same. Enough of the government doing the right thing then claim is diversification!

majekdom2:
but why have the IOC's decided no to go to borno over the years. Have we bothered to ask ourselves? Yes, it may be the same geological formation but it was never a wise thing done given that the glory days of oil are over

Easiest answer is because offshore oil might be easier bet. Thats where most of the action is happening here now. The Benue basin in now starting to get investment with Schlumberger FG joint venture. Next the discovery in Chad basin were found by the government in those countries I think.

majekdom2:
correct but railway is not directly diversification. Of what use is an efficient railway system when there is no power. Point still remains they are not same. Enough of the government doing the right thing then claim is diversification!

A robust railway system is a vital tool for diversification; power also is. Are suggesting every activity on railways should be put on hold while we work only on power?

Blue3k:


Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-16/nigeria-seeks-to-diversify-from-oil-with-41-billion-rail-plan

Front Page: Lalasticlala

Thief, Ole, Carry am go!!!!

obailala:
I'm not sure I understand your point. Who is abandoning a project?... You were calling on an ex-governor to come complete a project he started when he was governor; this is despite the fact that there is currently a governor in the state. Or are you suggesting Wike should step down as governor for Amaechi to take over?

To whom much is given, same is expected. He wants to start another rail project but this time on a federal level_ be here and be advocating_

obailala:
A robust railway system is a vital tool for diversification; power also is. Are suggesting every activity on railways should be put on hold while we work only on power?

Thaats not my point. It's a good development. My point is, infrastructure development is not same as diversification though related and could translate into each other. The headline is misleading. Dependence on oil is not the reason why railway or power hasn't been efficient the way they ought to.

Blue3k:
Well projects are funded with Chinese debt so at least they are paid for. Now it's left to government to be smart and concession these rails to private operators. The Government let the rail capacity shink 200 times. They are not to be trusted.

It is interesting they're planning to build rail network to Niger Republic first. It's odd Africa in general doesn't have much links to neighbors like say Europe does to each other. Maybe this is a play to have them patronize ports more by offering lower cost.

˙ǝƖʞɔnuʞ doɥɔ ˙ǝsuǝs ǝʞɐɯ noʎ

Blue3k:


Easiest answer is because offshore oil might be easier bet. Thats where most of the action is happening here now. The Benue basin in now starting to get investment with Schlumberger FG joint venture. Next the discovery in Chad basin were found by the government in those countries I think.

before offshore discovery. Why did they not go there?

majekdom2:
correct but railway is not directly diversification. Of what use is an efficient railway system when there is no power. Point still remains they are not same. Enough of the government doing the right thing then claim is diversification!

Why can't both develop at the same time?

Blue3k:


Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-16/nigeria-seeks-to-diversify-from-oil-with-41-billion-rail-plan

Front Page: Lalasticlala

Rail transport is not a way to diversify from crude oil dependency.

Alitair:

To whom much is given, same is expected. He wants to start another rail project but this time on a federal level_ be here and be advocating_

There is nothing wrong with building rail systems. The only thing wrong is when a successor abandons a project because he wants to complete only fresh project in his name.

Government is a continuum; Duke started the Calabar monorail, Imoke continued the project and Ayade completed and commissioned it. Similarly, GEJ started the Abuja to Kaduna rail project, PMB/Amaechi completed and commisioned it. Today Amaechi is starying the Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar rails. The projects will definitely not be completed in 4 or even 8 years and it is the responsibility of who ever takes over as the successors of PMB/Amaechi to continue and complete the project from wherever Amaechi stops.

FYI, Amaechi isnt the one who abandoned Rivers monorail, Wike is.

$41bn? Will it link every village in Nigeria? The UK just built a whole modern aircraft carrier for ‎£3.1bn.

majekdom2:
Thaats not my point. It's a good development. My point is, infrastructure development is not same as diversification though related and could translate into each other. The headline is misleading. Dependence on oil is not the reason why railway or power hasn't been efficient the way they ought to.

Yeah I get your point, railways and oil cannot be compared like for like. But I think the message from the title was clear enough to me

Na so una do I go learn how to drive train. Till now I no see the train driver work.

majekdom2:
before offshore discovery. Why did they not go there?

They were investing in Niger Delta.

In my opinion, it's a good development if FG is serious about it. I also prefer Railway linking Commerial hub cities of West Africa along the coast E.g Lagos-Cotonou-Lome-Accra which Is more eonomically viable than linking Kano to Niger Republic in that report.
But government of those countries must come together and have an MOU.
Trans West African Railway.

teebillz:
$41bn? Will it link every village in Nigeria? The UK just built a whole modern aircraft carrier for ‎£3.1bn.

Those two things hardly relate. The rail is supposed to link all the capitals.

stupid country ruled by slowbug tortoises. so na today una go sabi dey una need function railways system . I sorry 4 African leaders. Always slow in making adjustments to fix things

majekdom2:
I wonder why make this kind of comparison. Rail is a, infrastructure, oil is a natural resource. One reason for diversification is forex.. This is possible via sales of goods and services outside Nigeria. where are the incentives to strengthen the value of Naira??

It's not a like for like comparison. It is however a good comparison. Oil provides revenue. Agric and light industry will provide far more jobs and revenue than oil BUT they need a good transport network for heavy haulage.

What's not to like?

PrecisionFx:



Rail transport is not a way to diversify from crude oil dependency.

No mind them will their weak reasoning, The question they should be asking is
we depend on Oil for what? And = Revenue in Forex! Can Railway give us enough Forex? And = No!

Blue3k:


Those two things hardly relate. The rail is supposed to link all the capitals.

Don't you think 41 Billion dollars is still way too high?

Easier said than done.

obailala:
A robust railway system is a vital tool for diversification; power also is. Are suggesting every activity on railways should be put on hold while we work only on power?

How can you have an efficient railway system without electricity from power grid?
For comparison, Lagos airport is one of the most expensive in Africa and one of the most underwhelming airports.
Logically, you need power above rail way system.

obailala:
There is nothing wrong with building rail systems. The only thing wrong is when a successor abandons a project because he wants to complete only fresh project in his name.

Government is a continuum; Duke started the Calabar monorail, Imoke continued the project and Ayade completed and commissioned it. Similarly, GEJ started the Abuja to Kaduna rail project, PMB/Amaechi completed and commisioned it. Today Amaechi is starying the Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar rails. The projects will definitely not be completed in 4 or even 8 years and it is the responsibility of who ever takes over as the successors of PMB/Amaechi to continue and complete the project from wherever Amaechi stops.

While I share your general pessimism about continuity in Nigerian government projects, I think it needs pointing out that the rail lines are being constructed by Chinese companies, using funding that has already been released to them from China's Import-Export Bank. In addition, all the necessary rights of way have already supposedly been approved. The Chinese engineering firms are typically good about meeting their deadlines, so it's quite reasonable to expect this project to be ready on time unless some powerful people go out of their way to throw a spanner into the works so they can demand kickbacks or something (though, granted, such things aren't impossible in a basket-case of a country like Nigeria, even for high-visibility projects like these).

Fake news.

APC government budget is only to feed their families.

Very ungodly government.

By the way, the following quote from the article really stuck out to me:

Years of neglect while the nation was in political flux during military rule cut freight-rail capacity to 15,000 metric tons a year in 2005, from 3 million tons four decades earlier, according to the Transport Ministry.

The sheer scale of the negligence at work here is almost unbelievable! This sort of idiocy is exactly what worries me about the FG's involvement in these projects: even if the rail lines are concessioned to private operators like GE to run, what is to stop crooked, stupid or vote-seeking politicians from undermining the operators through measures like refusing to allow them to raise prices after drastically devaluing the Naira, or suddenly banning the importation of vital machine parts in the name of "Buy Nigerian", even when no Nigerian equivalents exist?

My concern is that Nigerians who are used to low-quality but "awuf" services won't be willing to pay the prices required to make running these lines sustainable in the long term, and there will always be cynical or economically ignorant politicians ready to pull a Hugo Chavez by making promises that ruin the railways profitability, so that in 30 years we're back wondering how all those shiny new rail lines ended up simply gathering rust ...

If you spend that money on power... it will boost the economy even better.. cost of production is high in Nigeria..

Nice move but i have zero trust that you guys will use the money well... no be today abeg.

Like Jonathan, like PMB, everything will happen next year and the country will dramatically change in 2 years!

The truth is that our leaders hardly know what is going on and have low appreciation of Economics. FG must have a growth plan that is ambitious not only in content but in speed. If you want change you must address both VOLUME and VELOCITY. It has to be to an extent that the publics understand what you are doing, buy into it and are ready to form a coalition to drive it through.

The Senate launches a plan today, the Executive launches another tomorrow, both out of tangent, and then they get stuck fighting one another. A good example is Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Why dont they just sit together and do things for common good?

These guys are so myopic! I am sorry to say.

So they keep talking about plans,and more plans.

Digging another bottomless pit to sink our money. Goodluck!

Dollyak:

How can you have an efficient railway system without electricity from power grid?
For comparison, Lagos airport is one of the most expensive in Africa and one of the most underwhelming airports.
Logically, you need power above rail way system.

I didnt downplay the importance of power, I only pointed out that everything else doesnt have to wait till power is completely sorted; there's nothing wrong in working on them all simultaneously.

omohayek:
By the way, the following quote from the article really stuck out to me:

The sheer scale of the negligence at work here is almost unbelievable! This sort of idiocy is exactly what worries me about the FG's involvement in these projects: even if the rail lines are concessioned to private operators like GE to run, what is to stop crooked, stupid or vote-seeking politicians from undermining the operators through measures like refusing to allow them to raise prices after drastically devaluing the Naira, or suddenly banning the importation of vital machine parts in the name of "Buy Nigerian", even when no Nigerian equivalents exist?

My concern is that Nigerians who are used to low-quality but "awuf" services won't be willing to pay the prices required to make running these lines sustainable in the long term, and there will always be cynical or economically ignorant politicians ready to pull a Hugo Chavez by making promises that ruin the railways profitability, so that in 30 years we're back wondering how all those shiny new rail lines ended up simply gathering rust ...

30 years?.. Your fears are already playing out at the Abuja to Kaduna rail where Amaechi arbitrarily increases/reduces ticket prices purely based on politics and zero business consideration. Imagine fixing the fare at a subsidised rate of N900 (probably cheaper than catching a bus), and then coming on air to celebrate making N30million monthly while the operating cost was put at N56million/month?... That rail system is already on the road to perdition, 30 years is wild optimism...

obailala:
30 years?.. Your fears are already playing out at the Abuja to Kaduna rail where Amaechi arbitrarily increases/reduces ticket prices purely based on politics and zero business consideration. Imagine fixing the fare at a subsidised rate of N900 (probably cheaper than catching a bus), and then coming on air to celebrate making N30million monthly while the operating cost was put at N56million/month?... That rail system is already on the road to perdition, 30 years is wild optimism...

So such nonsense is already happening with the newly built Abuja-Kaduna line? To be honest, I don't know why I'm surprised: Nigeria always fails to live up to even my severely diminished expectations for the country.