₦airaland Forum

I am sure the Transport Minister's tone is something most of us are used to by now.

Whether at the 2016 Uyo town hall session, legislative hearings and rather annoying interviews he's given over the years, the man seems to think he knows more than everything and anybody. For someone with zero professional or business experience, that's a a tad bit too far ! Personally, I remember the show of shame displayed his person and the shameful Governor of Rivers at an Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide Summit.. accordingly, I concluded that both men probably smell perfumery in their excrement and think too much of their uncouth selves.

Even the most egregious hater of Buhari and his Ministers, would find it hard to confer the label of " hollow" to most of them. Mischievious, crafty, lying, yes. But empty? They seem to have substance in their motives....

Now the Maradi to Kano line. An outlay of over 2 bln usd to link two historically connected centers of trade... Faced with criticisms from the public, the Minister retorts "if there is no economic benefit we will not do it. Nigeria is poor! Whoever tells you we are rich is ..... check the per capita income." He further opines that the project will be boosting port activities for Lagos port from the broader Sahelian landscape.

DECONSTRUCTING THE MYTH
1. Niger has a gdp of less than 10 bln usd. The country has massive inequities that have focused all devt in the SW corner where the Djerma- Hausa political elites have their base. Another thing.. it is the poorest on earth by per capita measures. Also on HDI.

Most NW states have bigger GDPs. Yup! But somehow there is a railway a fifth of that country's gdp being laid to attract trade gains?
For those of us who understand capital budgeting before the initiation of a project.. how does that sound ? Even in a 50 year time frame context ? Why wont there be criticisms when intra national infrastructure is sub par. And comparative advantage potentials of the different regions lies unused ?

Lastly, who is Amaechi to speak to Nigerians in that tone ? Nigeria is poor ? Yet earns more than any country on the continent barring SA ? The admin over 2015 to 2020 has earned more than 200 bln usd... that's more than ecowas earnings multiplied by a factor of 20 !

2. The attraction of trabs sahelian commerce. Apart from the fact that Lagos Rivers Akwa Ibom Delta Kano Oyo and a few others have gdps bigger than Sahelian states and cumulatively see more economic activity than the entire broad Sudanic Africa, what commerce is it attracting ?

The Sub-10 billion usd of Niger is tailored to serving France's metropolitan nuclear needs. B-Faso ships out with Ivory Coast with which it has precolonial colonial and ethnic links with. A Malinke Burkinabe is currently the president of Ivory Coast. Not to mention laid infrastructure for the purpose of port access (installed by the French). Mali does so with Ivory Coast and Senegal with which they have same links and entrenched businness relationships.

Also, nobody transits their goods thru two countries to get to a coast. Except without choice....therefore, the $2bln outlay is essentially trapped with whatever are the fortunes of the Nigerien economy. For those of us with any sense... we know the answer !

So why is the Minister speaking in such a high handed tone? Does he think we don't know how to research information? Or perhaps we are not familiar with our broader African landscape.

Maybe, he is just what he is, an impolite kakistocrat !

Unfortunately there's nothing anyone can do about it. The government is hellbent on it and they don't seem to care what the people think about it

Railway to Niger is a welcome development.

Don't forget that Calabar to Lagos railway is underway.

forgiveness:
Railway to Niger is a welcome development.

Don't forget that Calabar to Lagos railway is underway.

Niger the country, not Niger State.

rdokoye:
Niger the country, not Niger State.

I know.

Let's wait and see how it goes when it is completed, maybe only Dangote will be inside

Golden057:
Let's wait and see how it goes when it is completed, maybe only Dangote will be inside

Even Dangote isn't keen on such economies. Cos regardless of kisnhsip ties, business is based on facts. Lol. That's like asking why Indimi or Danjuma dont invest their oil earnings in inland Northern basins like Like Chad and the Benue trough. But are scouring the globe raising billions for N-Delta fields.

And why I will focus more on Maigatari and Kano for my meat operations before I start doing downstream ops in PH. But then common sense is not common.

Make up a multiplier effect equation of the potential of the line and u have the basic numerators of aggregate Gdp, population, economic diversity, trade volumes etc weighted however. Which of these stand to amplify the utility of the project ?

Negating factors like distance and variable competencies across supply chains that are most likely underdeveloped and not easily scalable, so overwhelm the odds to make the entire reasoning of the Minister sum up to nothing more than jibber jabber.