Railway
How we got Chinese to build first W’African wagon assembly plant in Nigeria – Amaechi
How we got Chinese to build first W’African wagon assembly plant in Nigeria – Amaechi
Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says the construction of West Africa’s first wagon assembly plant in Nigeria inaugurated at Kajola, Ogun State in 2023, was not part of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project but was ‘smuggled’ in for the benefit of Nigerians.
He however lamented that the construction of the assembly plant had been abandoned.
He disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday as the keynote speaker at the Nigeria Transport Summit organised by the Transportation Correspondents Association of Nigeria (TCAN) with the theme: ‘Internodal Transport: Prospects and Challenges’.
The two-time governor of Rivers State said the plant was conceived to ensure Nigeria produces wagons and other rolling stocks needed for railway development in the country.
He said, “There are so many things we had in the rail project that most other countries didn’t have.
“If you get to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Train Station in Kajola, there is a wagon rolling stock there. We launched that facility in 2023.
“The Kajola Locomotive and Wagon Rolling Stock was not part of the Lagos-Ibadan Rail project, but we insisted that the Chinese must build the facilitiy to enable us gain knowledge transfer in the area of wagon and rolling stock manufacturing.
“I told the Chinese contractors that I was going to give them a contract to supply Nigeria 200 rolling stock. I however told them that I won’t approve the contract if they don’t build a Wagon Assembly Plant in Nigeria.
“That after five years, they will start assembling and manufacturing Wagons and Rolling Stocks in Nigeria. The agreement was signed.
“The reason for doing this was to create employment and reduce foreign exchange expenditure because we will produce them here. Don’t forget that this was not part of the railway contract.
“I told the Chinese company that instead of giving me money, they should build a Transportation University, and they did.”
He said that the Kajola Locomotive and Wagon Assembly Plant was also one of the demands he made from the Chinese company, and it was also built.
Amaechi said, “I was in South Africa, and saw that they were producing locomotives. I asked them how they did it, and they said they awarded locomotive contract to the Chinese and asked them to build a plant for them so they will know how they did it.
“So, because I wanted Nigeria to also benefit the same way South Africa benefitted, I demanded that the Chinese build a wagon and rolling stock depot in Nigeria.
“This was done and was commissioned in 2023, but as I speak today, that facility has been abandoned. Nothing is happening there.
“Until we continue to invest in transportation, we might never get it right in this country.”
Railway
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.
A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.
This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.
The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.
The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”
The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.
The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.
“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.
“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.
The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.
Railway
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.
This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.
The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.
For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.
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“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS).
“LAGOS to IBADAN:
“•Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm
“IBADAN to LAGOS:
“•Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.
This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.
This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.
The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.
Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
Railway
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.
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“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero, says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.
He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.
Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
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