Business

Abuja-Kaduna train breakdown: A taste of the Chinese pudding

Published

6 years ago

November 30, 2020

The Abuja-Kaduna train breakdown that happened last week presents a good illustration of the age-old adage that says: the taste of the pudding is in the eating. From all indications, the taste of the pudding which China is cooking for Nigeria is beginning to emerge already.

For over ten hours, some Nigerians were stranded in the middle of no-where, abandoned in the bush as a result of a failed locomotive. The train ride with all the luxury it purports to offer left a very sour taste in the mouths of the passengers, as they were buffeted by hunger and thirst for several hours, not to talk of failed appointments and the deep fear of being kidnapped due to high level of insecurity around that corridor.

There can be no gainsaying the fact that the breakdown of the locomotive is a foretaste of what is to come. The incident seems to tell Nigerians what the situation will be in the next five to ten years. Unfortunately, a taste of it couldn’t wait. As the transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the embarrassing incident is so early in the day, and is quite unexpected. We quite agree with him. If this can happen at this time, less than one year of operation, one can imagine what the case will be in the next ten years.

True, the breakdown of the locomotives was not expected at this time by Amaechi and the government of the day. This is because the Nigerian government officials either trust the Chinese so much or have chosen to underestimate or ignore the famed craftiness and propensity of the Chinese to cut corners. On the other hand, it could be because Nigeria has become a beggar before China, and as the saying goes, a beggar has no choice. In that light, she must take whatever China throws her way.

Indeed, one cannot talk about the train breakdown incident without talking about how the contract that gave birth to it was procured, same with other ongoing rail projects across the country.

These rail projects are being executed with loans from China. The loans are tied to projects and disbursed by the China EXIM Bank, with the interest said to be subsidized by the country’s Ministry of Commerce. The commerce ministry assigns Chinese contractors to execute projects.

With such an arrangement, the project becomes entirely Chinese affair. The money barely gets into the hands of Nigeria since the loans are offered in the form of projects. Thus, most of the funds given out actually go back to China by way of supplies, salaries, allowances and housing of top and middle-level manpower, construction contracts and the whole equipment which are brought in from China.

With all the equipment, including the locomotives coming from China as part of the loan deal, Nigeria is not in a position to know or determine the competitive cost and quality of the equipment. Nigerian negotiators will not know if the shiny locomotive is new or refurbished. All they do is to celebrate the arrival of the locomotives from China, and when everything is put together, they assemble to commission it with fun fare. How long the locomotive or equipment will last is another issue as there is no performance bond signed.

With what has begun to emerge so early in the day, one is afraid how Nigeria will be able to repay the loans, given envisaged breakdowns which might impact on the operation of the railways. The breakdowns, if they become frequent and severe, may render some rail lines unviable, and therefore, disposed to take-over by the Chinese. The story of China loan/infrastructure projects in the developing countries especially, Africa presents a frightening scenario.

Across the African continent, in most of the transactions with China, corruption or kickbacks by government officials have been alleged. The loans are largely concessionary with lots of suspected undercover dealings and perks in favour of African government officials. These come in form of huge kickbacks, which largely do not go through the banking system.

The presence of the kickbacks indicates that the actual cost of investments in the projects will actually fall far short of negotiated loan amounts. This is a cause of worry concerning future default on these Chinese loans.

Another source of worry is the opaqueness of the Chinese projects and loans across all jurisdictions. In every country that China has shown its ‘magnanimity’, all the infrastructure of roads, ports, highways, railways and airports financed with these loans all connect to China in what has been aptly described as the “new silk road.” This means, perhaps, that these infrastructures are forever tied to China.

One curious thing is while China can give Nigeria refurbished locomotives or inferior equipment without batting an eyelid, it is willing to ‘donate’ to her a transport university said to worth $50 million. The amount even a kindergarten pupil knew that might have conveniently built into the inflated cost of the railway projects.

This is similar to its donation of a mighty Secretariat to the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – a gesture which has provided it a good launching pad to gain easy access to virtually all African countries, offering them irresistible loans that are tied to projects. The secretariat was also rumoured to be a mine of classified information for Chinese as they allegedly installed high tech spying gadgets all over the building during its construction.

While the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and the managing director of NRC Fidet Okhiria, have apologized to Nigerians, with the NRC MD promising that the breakdown will not occur again, Nigerians remain skeptical of what the future holds for all the Chinese largesse for Nigeria.

* Business & Maritime West Africa Saturday Editorial

Auto

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Published

10 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Jetour Nigeria is taking its seven-seater X70 Plus SUV to Abuja as rising interest from motorists in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states fuels the brand’s latest push to deepen its presence across Nigeria.

The X70 Plus will headline the Jetour Experience Abuja, holding from September 22 to 24 at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, following the strong response recorded during the Lagos edition, where motorists turned out for test drives and made enquiries about Jetour models.

The Abuja activation is designed to give prospective buyers direct access to the X70 Plus and other models, with opportunities to test-drive the vehicles, engage product specialists and experience their technology, safety and comfort features.

The X70 Plus is positioned as a family-oriented SUV, offering seven-seat capacity and a range of features targeted at customers seeking comfort, technology and practicality.

The SUV is available with 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged engine options, with outputs of up to 145kW and 290Nm of torque, paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Auto

Jetour Unleashes F700 Hybrid Pickup as Abuja Experience Begins Tuesday

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2026

Trends Admin

Jetour Unleashes F700 Hybrid Pickup as Abuja Experience Begins Tuesday

Jetour is taking its premium pickup game to Abuja as the automaker prepares to showcase the powerful F700 hybrid pickup at the Jetour Experience Abuja, bringing a blend of electrified performance, luxury and rugged off-road capability to the Federal Capital Territory.

The three-day event, scheduled for September 22 to 24 at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, comes on the heels of strong reception in Lagos and is expected to draw commercial fleet operators, corporate buyers and luxury pickup enthusiasts keen to experience Jetour’s latest hybrid workhorse.

Following high-impact reception in Lagos, the Abuja activation, which holds at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, answers massive demand from commercial fleet leaders, corporate buyers, and luxury truck enthusiasts eager for an electrified workhorse built without compromise.

Jetour’s rapid ascendancy as Nigeria’s Fastest Growing Auto Brand and Auto Brand of the Year is backed by nationwide after-sales infrastructure, certified technicians, and genuine parts availability through its authorized dealer network including Elizade Nigeria Limited, New Era AutoVehicle Services, Germaine Auto Centre, Kojo Motors, Mandilas Autos, R.T. Briscoe and
Tab Autos.

The Ultimate Hybrid Powerhouse
Engineered on the heavy-duty platform of Jetour’s G700 luxury SUV, the double-cab F700 redefines utility.

Jetour Unleashes F700 Hybrid Pickup as Abuja Experience Begins Tuesday

Auto

26th Abuja Motor Fair: NADDC, BKG Set November 10 Date for Auto Industry Show

Published

2 days ago

September 18, 2026

Trends Admin

26th Abuja Motor Fair: NADDC, BGK Set November 10 Date for Auto Industry Showcase

The National Automotive Design and Development Council and BKG Exhibitions Ltd have unveiled plans for the 26th Abuja International Motor Fair, scheduled to hold from November 10 to 13, 2026, at Eagle Square, Abuja.

The four-day event is expected to bring together major players across the automotive value chain, such as vehicle manufacturers and assemblers, component producers, financial institutions, technology firms, transport operators, logistics companies, development partners, investors and government agencies.

A three-day conference will also feature prominently at the fair, with the theme, “Driving Nigeria’s Automotive Transformation: Policy, Production, and Prosperity.”

A statement on Friday by BKG Exhibitions said the conference would examine key issues shaping the development of Nigeria’s automotive industry, with speakers drawn from various sectors of the industry and related fields.

Chairman of the Organising Committee and Managing Director of BKG Exhibitions, Mr Ifeanyi Agwu, said the conference would feature a keynote address by the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Joseph Osanipin, alongside presentations and speeches by leading stakeholders in the automotive and transport sectors.