₦airaland Forum

Agboriotejoye:
What they are doing is wrong in a sane clime. If Niger wants to move goods faster, they can liaise with Nigeria to build a rail. I don't see how building a rail to the poorest desert in Africa is right. The cost of the rail alone is about the GDP of Niger. Besides, Nigeria's internal trade alone thumps whatever Niger has to offer so we should concentrate on our internal trade. Ghana is a far richer and industrialised country whom we can gain a lot from by facilitating trade with and you know the funny thing, there's a rail linking Ghana to Nigeria being built by EACH country along the line supervised by ECOWAS. Why didn't we just build it all alone?

capitalzero:
I agree with you.
I think north is planning for eventual Yugoslavia of nigeria. The rail line would serve as economic integration for niger and northern nigeria.

law001:
Why not stop at the border and let Niger Republic do their own bit?

Mike213:
The railway to niger rep is because they wan to bring in unregistered voters during elections

Zico5:
There is no explanation that will make a meaning to sensible Nigerians. We all know this is a gimmick and an attempt to infiltrate Nigeria by Niger Republic thereby making it appendage of Nigeria. Niger Republic is a desert with few or nothing coming out of it except smuggling of rice which the citizens there engage at the detriment of Nigeria. If there should be such project, it should be between Nigeria-Benin-Ghana cos that's where some resources that are beneficial to this country are coming from. I pray nothing is done on the project before 2023 so that incoming government can cancel the nonsense. Buhari will surely pay for all the pain being inflicted on the masses.

Neddstark:
Go and tell USAID that began the initiative that it is bullshit. As you get sense pass all of them.

AMvanquish:
Early in my career, I worked with an FMCG . I had clients / Big wholesalers in Kano Markets who gave me a combined turnover of a little over a billion naira monthly. Alot of their customers come from Chad, Niger & Mali axis. I was shocked to find out they even had customers who come from places like cameroon, Sudan and as far as Central African Republic.

They purchase goods and these goods are inturn loaded onto massive trailers for onward delivery. Not to even talk of those Niger /Chad business men that take delivery of their goods through Apapa-Tincan ports all the way to Niger/Chad.

Now imagine them cutting costs and shipping by rail, And the impact for local businesses in kano Saving every one time, money & Energy.
It looks like a waste but if you know Kano market well, you would relate better.

Paretomaster1:
Chai! Did they tell you its extneding into Niger? The rail terminate at the border between Maradi, and Jibia..

Zico5:
There is no explanation that will make a meaning to sensible Nigerians. We all know this is a gimmick and an attempt to infiltrate Nigeria by Niger Republic thereby making it appendage of Nigeria. Niger Republic is a desert with few or nothing coming out of it except smuggling of rice which the citizens there engage at the detriment of Nigeria. If there should be such project, it should be between Nigeria-Benin-Ghana cos that's where some resources that are beneficial to this country are coming from. I pray nothing is done on the project before 2023 so that incoming government can cancel the nonsense. Buhari will surely pay for all the pain being inflicted on the masses.

Mike213:
The railway to niger rep is because they wan to bring in unregistered voters during elections

wink2015:
This railway will open doors for illegal immigrant to enter Nigeria.

Agboriotejoye:
Nobody has said building rail from Lagos to Kano is a bad idea. It's Kano to Maradi that's a stupid and wasteful one. The combine GDP of NIger and Chad that you mentioned is not up to half of the combined GDP of Lagos and PH. So why waste $1.9bn to build a rail there when we can easily drop the goods at Kano and they pick it up and transport to their Maradi by road.
Financially speaking, there's nothing to be gained building a rail to the poorest countries in the world that depend on international aid to survive when we can build to Ghana that has ten times of their GDP and a bigger manufacturing and consumer base. This thing is simple

Tekrify:
The distance between Nigeria and Niger is 21km..it makes more sense if the rail is just extended an extra 21km to the next town after the border..this means they don't have to bring in trucks with their dangerous Fulani drivers...their goods can travel from apapa straight into Maradi which is the next town after 5he border..it no as if the rail is traveling deep into Niger...

I believe it better as if makes it unnecessary for trucks to be driven into Kano or which ever place for their cargo....
21km isn't much of a big deal ..it will even make dem choose the Nigerian port other than our neighbors

Agboriotejoye:
Nobody has said building rail from Lagos to Kano is a bad idea. It's Kano to Maradi that's a stupid and wasteful one. The combine GDP of NIger and Chad that you mentioned is not up to half of the combined GDP of Lagos and PH. So why waste $1.9bn to build a rail there when we can easily drop the goods at Kano and they pick it up and transport to their Maradi by road.
Financially speaking, there's nothing to be gained building a rail to the poorest countries in the world that depend on international aid to survive when we can build to Ghana that has ten times of their GDP and a bigger manufacturing and consumer base. This thing is simple

AMvanquish:
You need to read the article again. I did not make any mention of GDP.
You missed where the article stated that transporting goods at the moment from Lagos to Niger comes at neck breaking cost. These are land locked countries that utilize our ports at a significant cost thereby limiting their volume of trade. Connecting the rail to Maradi would open up a huge volume of trade between both countries and adjoining land locked countries.

If you are talking of poverty, don't forget we are the poverty capital of the world right now. Nigeria's poverty numbers is 3 times the Population of Niger.

If you are talking of Depending on Aid, which African country doesn't get aid at the moment, Nigeria inclusive, albeit some get more than others.

If you are talking consumer base Niger, Mali & Chad have double the population of Ghana (60M - compared to Ghana 31m). Which business would ignore 60million potential mouths.

It's a win-win for all if they are really sincere, might not seem so at the moment though.

tsephanyah:
They will now shout our "Oil money" Our. But human history shows the strongest takes what they like.
Our economic policy, I repeat, is determined solely by the interests of the Northern people. From this principle we shall never depart. If the rest of the world says: "War," I can only say: "Very well. I do not want war, but no one, however peaceable, can live in peace if his neighbor intends to force a quarrel."

nobilie:
Forget the lies.
Niger is supposed to finance that rail project if its so important to Nigeria.
That project is only important for two reasons
1) Niger's import is done via Benin and mainly Nigerian ports. The hurdles in moving heavy shipment via road from Apapa is a challenge for them. With the rail, they can now move heavy duty shipment via rail after taking delivery from apapa port.
2) The north is getting ready for a possible civil uprising/war. Making it easy to move soldiers and arms from Niger to southern Nigerian in a short time. They are planning well ahead but God will disappoint them.
Have you noticed that all we call leaders have gone dumb out of fear. This govt is not only threatening people with our security but also with headsmen attack.
They think 2023 will not come, it is by the corner.

Rugaria:
It cost over one million naira to transport a 40ft container from Lagos to Onitsha at the height of the Lagos port crises! During Jonathan's regime, it was plus-minus 200k!
Since the end of the war, through vindictive politics, importers in the east have to import through Lagos, then truck by land the containers to the eastern hinterlands! Just as we have to come to Lagos to fly out of the country, which has lead to many deaths by accidents...What this means is that in most cases, imported goods are costlier in the east than say Lagos and it environs. It also means endless accidents and deaths on the Lagos-Benin-Onitsha road... , One of the busiest roads in the country! So how did the brood of vipers running this country manage to prioritize cheaper transportation for Niger republic citizens as more important to that of the most commercially active section of the country and still have the effontery to defend that with a straight face? Why exactly is this government dragging her feat on building rail tracks in the east?

tsephanyah:
They will now shout our "Oil money" Our. But human history shows the strongest takes what they like.
Our economic policy, I repeat, is determined solely by the interests of the Northern people. From this principle we shall never depart. If the rest of the world says: "War," I can only say: "Very well. I do not want war, but no one, however peaceable, can live in peace if his neighbor intends to force a quarrel."

Rugaria:
It costs over one million naira to transport a 40ft container from Lagos to Onitsha at the height of the Lagos port crises! During Jonathan's regime, it was plus-minus 200k!
Since the end of the war, through vindictive politics, importers in the east have to import through Lagos, then truck by land the containers to the eastern hinterlands! Just as we have to come to Lagos to fly out of the country, which has lead to many deaths by accidents...

What this means is that in most cases, imported goods are costlier in the east than say Lagos and its environs. It also means endless accidents and deaths on the Lagos-Benin-Onitsha road... , One of the busiest roads in the country! So how did the brood of vipers running this country manage to prioritize cheaper transportation for Niger republic citizens as more important to that of the most commercially active section of the country and still have the effontery to defend that with a straight face? Why exactly is this government dragging her feat on building rail tracks in the east?