Tag Archives: Railway

“Pay us off before railway concession”, NRC staff union tells FG.

Posted on by
1

The senior staff association of railway workers, northern district, has said the federal government must “pay off” workers before it concessions facilities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, Huseini Abdul, chairman of the association, said the workers were not against the concession but their welfare must be considered.

He said the fate of the workers after the concession was of paramount concern.

“But our major bone of contention here is the workers’ stand, our welfare must be considered by taking all necessary measures towards paying us off before concession,” Abdul said.

“The agitation of our leaders at the headquarters is before the concession, let government pay us off, so that they can recall anybody they are interested in to work with.

“Are we still going to be carried along or we will be retrenched? Actually, we have been hearing from President Muhammadu Buhari through the minister of transport, chief Rotimi Amaechi saying that no worker will lose his job.

“However, we have seen what happened in the cases of NEPA and NITEL, where workers were assured that nobody would be affected, but eventually something went wrong.”

He said the government should allow them own their official residences as directed by an industrial court in Lagos.

“This has been bothering us a lot because you find out that in other organisations, both in the federal and state levels, their houses were given to their workers, why not in the railway.

“We have been paying the rent every month and every year. This privilege was given by President Obasanjo’s administration, and we feel it is high time we also benefit from it.

“This is because we are still within the system and we deserve to be treated as such and to be given such privilege of owning our houses.”

 

Source: The Cable

Osinbajo flags-off Lagos-Ibadan rail line, project to create 500,000 jobs.

Posted on by
1

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has flagged off the Lagos-Ibadan standard guage railway line, stating that the national rail project will create half-a-million jobs.

Speaking at the ceremony in Lagos, Osinbajo said the project is one very close to the heart of President Muhammadu Buhari, who renegotiated the project with the Chinese, back in 2016.

The acting president said the rail line is just one segment of the Lagos-Kano railway project, which is an integral part of the national rail project.

Osinbajo said the rail line would be ready for use by December 2018, and would ensure ease of transportation and diversification of the national economy.

“If there is a project close to the heart of the president, it is this rail project he personally promised the people of this nation,” Osinbajo said.

“Our appreciation goes to the Chinese government, who have always proven to be reliable partners with Nigeria. As some may be aware, we have the entire Lagos-Kano standard guage track, as well as the Lagos-Calabar railway track in the 2017 budget.

“Negotiations of the Kaduna-Kano portion of the track is now completed and this phase is next in line. We have already provided our portion of funding for the Lagos-Calabar route as well.

“We expect that negotiations for the foreign component of the funding will be finalised in the next few months. The Lagos-Calabar rail will come on stream.

“An active and vibrant railway system confers many benefits on society, and our ultimate goal is to restore the railway using culture for both commercial and personal travels.

“The national railway project will create up to half a million jobs, and facilitate the movement of over 3.2 tonnes of cargo per annum.”

Osinbajo appreciated the efforts of Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, and Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation for their hardwork, which made the project possible.

The rail line is expected to transport people and cargo at a speed of 150 kilometres per hour — that is Lagos to Ibadan via Abeokuta, in less than an hour.

Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor of Lagos state, Ibikunle Amosun, governor of Ogun state, Rilwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos, were present at the flag off.

 

Source: The Cable

FG To Concession Nigerian Railway Corporation.

Posted on by
Reply

The Federal Government has concluded arrangements to concession the Nigerian Railway Corporation to any reputable foreign company.

Chairman of the NRC, Usman Abubakar, revealed this to newsmen after flagging off the maiden rail transportation of 800 tonnes of soya beans from Funtua to the Apapa port in Lagos.

He explained that the concession would be executed very soon.

According to him, the rail transport scheme is driven by the Nigerian Incentive Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), in partnership with the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

He lamented that arrangements on the concession began about three weeks earlier, when the corporation advertised for bids from interested foreign companies to manage them.

“A number of foreign companies responded to the advertisement while the corporation has begun to study the bids submitted by the companies with a view to settling down for one that meets the laid down requirements and standards,” he said.

OPINION: The Railway Revolution We Need – By Senator Gbenga Ashafa

Posted on by
26

Dear Nigerians, Let me seize this opportunity to once again wish you a Happy New Year. Indeed 2016 was a very challenging year for all of us, but I believe that with the efforts of both the Government and the private Sector, we should experience a more prosperous 2017.

 

Towards the end of last year, Nigeria was and is still faced with a major transportation challenge to wit: the impending closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. This impending closure is attributed to the urgent need to rehabilitate the only runway servicing the airport.

 

From Thursday 12th January 2017 to Tuesday, 17th January, 2017, the Nigerian Senate engaged the stakeholders in the Sector with a view to considering other options available to the millions of Nigerians that would be affected by the Six Week Closure of the airport. The whole essence of this engagement was to find the least stressful alternative that would benefit the country.

 

I have given the forgoing preamble mainly to further underscore the need to quickly and speedily reinvigorate our Rail Transportation Sector, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Railway Bill, 2016. To achieve this, our counterparts in the House of Representatives will have to hasten up to pass their version of the Bill so that the harmonised version can then be forwarded to Mr. President for his assent.

 

You will recall that the Nigerian Senate on July 21, 2016 passed the Nigerian Railway Corporation Bill, 2016. The new bill is poised to replace the antiquated Railway Corporation Act of 1955.

 

The new railway bill sponsored by Senator Andy Uba from Anambra state laid the ground work for the reengineering which the Senate Committee on Land Transport which I chair had to do to achieve the quality of the legislation that was eventually passed. I must once again commend my colleagues on the committee and the technical committee that worked with us leading to the passage of the Nigerian Railway Bill, 2016.

 

Basically, the passed bill is a departure from the old order, which shut private investors out of the railway business. The new bill, among other things, seeks to open up the railway business to private investors, and to distinguish the regulator – which is the government – from the operator.

 

I remain a strong believer in the primacy of the railway. It is my belief as well that the Railways remain a critical infrastructure that will extenuate Nigeria’s motley transportation problems. Hence, I am dedicated to leading the charge for the “revolutionalisation” of the system.

 

Last year, I expressed my thoughts on the same subject in an essay entitled, ‘Time has come to open up our railway to private participation’, which was published a few days before the passage of the bill in July 2016. Given the situation we have found ourselves in now, I deem it necessary to quote some of the thoughts expressed therein, hereunder.

 

“Government after government has invested even more in road expansion projects. The result as can be observed in the case of Lagos and Abuja has been a gradual occupation of the expanded roads with more cars. This is attributable to rural-urban migration as well as population explosion across the nation,”.

 

“Mass transit remains a very pivotal aspect of the development of any city. It plays a critical role in enhancing productivity of the state by ensuring the movement of the largest number of people from point A to Point B within the shortest possible time. It also reflects the quality of life and the value placed on the unit citizen by any responsible government.

 

“You will agree with me that the most effective means of transporting large quantities of humans, goods and services within any country is via rail. This is why whenever the topic of mass transit is discussed; rail transportation must be given its pride of place.”

 

Now, with the impending closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a frontal focus on the railway is more than ever germane. The goal is not to have just functional railways, but to have trains that are as fast and effective as those we see outside Nigeria.

 

I believe that the private sector has a pivotal role to play in turning around the fortunes of the Nigerian Railway System. To achieve this, the Senate has taken the lead in giving the executive the requisite Legislative Support to attract Foreign and local investments into the sector. This was the prime goal, when the Senate committee on Land Transport, worked round the clock to ensure the passage of the Railway Bill in good time.

 

The imminent total closure of the second busiest airport in Nigeria has caused unrest for many Nigerians and foreigners going by their outcry. Imagine if we had an effective rail system whereby cities, states and communities are linked.  A sturdy railway system or a faster train traversing the Abuja to Kaduna corridor, the consequences of the total closure  of the Abuja Airport would be minimal and frequent travelers might not feel much pain or discomfort.

 

The time for linking every Nigerian artery by rail is now.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa represents the good and industrious people of Lagos East Senatorial District in the Senate. He is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport.

President Buhari has released N72bn for Lagos-Ibadan railway – Amaechi

Posted on by
1

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has released N72 billion counterpart funding for the construction of Lagos-Ibadan modernisation railway project.

 

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, made this known at the quarterly presidential business forum, which was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential banquet hall, Abuja, on Monday.

 

The rail project, which was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, would cost about $1.5 billion (N458 billion).

 

Amaechi commended Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, for ensuring full release of the counterpart funds for the project, and enjoined the national assembly to ensure speedy approval of the $30 billion foreign loans for various project.

 

“I think in the history of Nigeria this is the first time that we are releasing counterpart funding in full so that there will be no delay, since the Chinese loan appears to have been approved,” Amaechi said.

 

“The national assembly should please approve the 30 billion dollars loan. If you don’t respond, if you don’t encourage the national assembly to make that approval, then, the economy won’t be making the kind of progress we want the economy to make.

 

“So, for me here, I will enjoin you to persuade the national assembly to kindly make that approval because they are tied to projects.”

 

Source: The Cable

How Nigeria Plans To Revive Its Railway Sector. – Rotimi Amaechi

Posted on by
1

The transport sector in Nigeria will soon be witnessing increased activities in the railways, following renewed collaboration between the federal government and foreign partners.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, revealed that negotiations were at advanced stage with General Electric, an American multinational conglomerate and the China Exim Bank on the revival of the rail system.

Mr Amaechi told reporters shortly after he visited the dry inland port in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that work would commence on the narrow and standard rail line gauge across Nigeria as soon as the negotiations were concluded.

Rotimi Amaechi, Transport, Energy
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi

The minister, who was at the Heipang Inland Container Depot to inspect its facilities, was accompanied by officials of the Ministry of Transportation, the Nigerian Shippers Council, members of the Plateau State Executive Council as well as the concessionaire of the port.

Having inspected the site which borders the Yakubu Gowon Airport and a railway station, Mr Amaechi stressed the need to develop facilities in the inland dry ports on a tripartite arrangement involving the Federal Government, the host state government and the private investor.

In his response, Governor Simon Lalong assured the minister that Plateau State would contribute its part in the development and implementation of the project, with assurance that the project would receive urgent attention by his administration.

The Chairman, Plateau Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Bulus Daren, highlighted some of the advantages of the development.

He expressed optimism that apart from decongesting the seaports, the inland dry port would bring shipping services to the door steps of shippers across Nigeria, as well as assist in the overall costs of cargo to hinterland locations.

It is speculated that the Nigerian Shippers Council has been promoting and facilitating the establishment of inland container depots on the basis of public-private partnership with six approved locations in Aba, Ibadan, Jos, Kano, Funtua and Maiduguri to service the Nigerian populace.

Nigeria to deploy 150km/hour locomotive on Abuja-Kaduna rail

Posted on by
1

The Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, says the corporation will soon deploy a 150 kilometre per hour locomotive on Abuja-Kaduna rail gauge to meet passengers’ demand.

Mr. Okhiria, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Wednesday in Abuja, said engineers were currently in China for the final factory acceptance test.

He said once the design specification was confirmed by the engineers, the corporation would start making arrangements for its shipment and subsequent deployment.

According to him, the second locomotive for the rail line is also expected to be on track in the next two weeks since the engineers have also gotten the parts.

He added that “very soon, we will get the 150km per hour locomotive being shipped, engineers have just gone for the final factory acceptance test.

“We received information that it has been done and for the second locomotive that is coming in the next two weeks, we will put them on track.

“We are proactive, some of my engineers are already in China and they are going to come back with the pack for the second locomotive next week,’’ he stated.

The NRC boss said that railway stations were always far from the heart of the cities to allow people to move closer to the station in order to help create and expand the city.

He noted that the measure was to avoid demolishing people’s houses and paying compensation, adding that the out of town station encouraged development of towns and cities.

According to him, it is advisable to locate train stations away from city centres, saying the old Kaduna station that is now in the city was originally outside the city.

“However, within the next two years, the station you called out of town would be a major centre of activities.

“It is always like that because we don’t want to demolish houses because we cannot pay money for compensation.”

Okhiria said Nigerians had accepted the railway system, especially the Abuja-Kaduna line, adding that there had been continuous increase in passengers traffic on daily basis.

He assured that more locomotives and coaches would be deployed to the rail line in the coming year for passenger service, noting that NRC was developing the freight angle.

A passenger, Halima Saidu, a businesswoman based in Kaduna, commended the corporation for effective service on the Abuja-Kaduna line.

Ms. Saidu, who said she was travelling on the train for the first time, described the train movement as smooth and fast.

She called on the Federal Government to develop more of the kind of Abuja-Kaduna rail line in every state for easy movement of people.

According to her, if more railways are provided, the pressure on the roads will reduce and the number of road accidents will also reduce.

Innocent Ajiji, the Deputy President, Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, who also rode on the train, said it was smooth to ride on light rail unlike the narrow gauge train.

According to Mr. Ajiji, it is faster and it moves smoothly because it doesn’t make a lot of noise like the narrow gauge train.

“If Federal Government can change the system into standard gauge, I think we will have a better rail system,’’ he said.

Enugu gives 24-hour ultimatum to NRC to replace malfunctioning facilities.

Posted on by
1

The Enugu State Government on Wednesday gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to replace malfunctioning facilities in the state to avoid train accident.

The ultimatum was sequel to the killing of a resident of the state by a train on Tuesday along the Ogbete Main Market Enugu.

It could be recalled that the victim, Ikechukwu Imediagwu, a native of Isikwuato in Abia State, the only son of his parents, died instantly, while other persons were said to have sustained injuries.

A government delegation led by the State’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Sam Ogbu Nwobodo, expressed anger at the railway crossing in Ogbete Market Enugu, where it discovered that none of the barriers was in good working condition.

Other government officials on the team included the Commissioner for transport, Vitalis Okechi, the caretaker chairmen of Enugu North and Enugu South, Isaac Igwe and Sunday Ugwu among others.

Officials of the Railway Corporation and men of the police traffic unit had engaged in heated argument, as the latter and other eye witnesses insisted that nobody was on ground to give signal before the train suddenly bumped into the market road.
?
Nwobodo, however, intervened insisting that government must get to the root of the matter as it was not ready to toy with lives of residents.

“We are talking of loss of life here and I want us to bear that in mind. All the parties involved must cooperate with the government to ensure that this does not happen again.”

GE Confirms ‘Keen Interest’ in $2 billion Nigeria Railway Concession

Posted on by
1

General Electric (GE) confirmed its a “keen interest” in acquiring a Nigeria railway concession project worth around $2 billion, the U.S. company said on Monday.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said this month that GE would be investing $2.2 billion in a concession to revamp, provide rolling stock, and manage some of the country’s railways.

“Given the size and scope of the proposed project, it is likely that the debt and equity commitments required from lenders, consortium partners and other co-developers will be in the range of $2 billion or more,” GE said in a statement mailed to Reuters.

It said the concession was in the formal procurement process.

Nigeria has been looking for partners to overhaul its aging railway system, which was mainly built by British colonial rulers before the country’s independence in 1960.

The West African nation has also signed two deals worth around $5 billion with China Civil Engineering Construction Corp (CCECC), part of China’s state-owned railway construction firm, to modernize and build railways in the north and south of the country, the Nigerian transport ministry said last month.

Growth in Nigeria – an OPEC member whose economy has slipped into recession for the first time in more than 20 years after being hammered by low oil prices – has been stunted for decades by a lack of investment in roads and railways.

GE said the railway concession project came on top of around $150 million the firm was currently spending on capital expenditures in Nigeria as cited by a senior company executive last week.

FG To Reconnect Railway With Sea Ports – Amaechi

Posted on by
2

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has said that the Federal Government will re-connect the country’s railway with the sea ports in a bid to boost economic activities.

 

Amaechi said this during a meeting he had with port professionals on Monday in Lagos.

 

The minister said President Muhamadu Buhari’s resolve to diversify the economy had brought to the front burner the need to implement the inter-modal means of transportation in the country.

 

“We expect that before June or July, we should begin the process or we should start the construction of the Lagos-Kano, and possibly the Lagos-Calabar railway.

 

“If those two contracts commence, then we expect that they would generate employment (and) economic activity would improve.

And we say that all of these must terminate at the sea ports, so anybody can import from any particular place in time.

You can import from Warri Sea Port; you can import from Port Harcourt sea port; you can import or export from Calabar sea port or any of the sea ports.

In terminating the railway, we are going to terminate one at Apapa and another one at Tin Can to encourage inter-modal means of transportation.’’

 

The minister gave the assurance that appropriate measures would be taken to ensure that the country received the right amount of revenue from the system.

 

“We also want to know how much is coming in and how much is being spent.’’

Nobody is expected to spend more than the budget has been approved for you so that we save money for the economy.’’

 

Amaechi, therefore, urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government as its works assiduously to revive the economy, beginning with the implementation of the 2016 budget.

 

(NAN)

FG To Continue Railway Project By 2nd Quarter Of 2016 – Buhari

Posted on by
2

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that the Federal Government would continue with the railway project by the second quarter of 2016 to enhance economic development.

 

Buhari, who gave the assurance at the maiden Presidential Media Chat in Abuja, said the decision would alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians in getting fuel.

 

“By second quarter of 2016, we will take the Chinese contractors back to continue with the railway project,’’ the president said.

 

On fuel subsidy, Buhari said the government was working hard to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians to make fuel available at affordable price.

 

He said government’s priority was to get the refineries working at optimum level, adding that past administrations had failed to maintain them and the pumping stations.

 

We will not be talking about subsidy by the end of first quarter next year.

 

I hope that our refineries will be working, we cannot do it overnight but that is our priority now to get them working.”

 

On the 2016 budget, Buhari said it would address unemployment in the country.

 

He said a lot had changed in the country, especially with the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA).

 

In addition, he said that the reforms done so far by his administration to merge 42 to 24 ministries would save some money to implement developmental projects.

 

“All these things will take time; we said during our campaign that we will diversify the economy to agriculture and solid minerals.

 

We are hoping that these sectors will generate jobs from those sectors and our budget has shown that we will focus on those sectors.

 

Also, we have focused on education and other key sectors of the economy.

 

Some investors are ready to come and invest in those sectors but our problem is to secure this country first,’’ the president said.

 

 

According to him, the government has taken cognisance of the countries that have indicated interest in investing in solid minerals.

 

He further said that his administration would develop the rail transport to enhance economic development.

He urged civil servants to be prepared to make sacrifices, adding that “you can legitimise the culture of change by being efficient in service’’.

 

 

(NAN)

FG To Create 7 New Railway Corridors To Expand Train Services – Amaechi

Posted on by
1

FG to create 7 new railway corridors to expand train services
The Federal Government is to create seven more rail corridors of standard gauge railways in the country, the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, has said.

 

Amaechi made the plan known in Port Harcourt at the inauguration of Port Harcourt – Aba Mass Transit Train Services.

 

He said the initiative was a public-private-partnership which sought to modernise and expand railway transportation across the country.

 

“This initiative is aimed at remodelling and redevelopment of our major railway stations within the country.

 

“Under the rail modernisation programme, government will open new railway lines to achieve an efficient rail network.

 

“The Ministry of Transportation has carried out feasibility studies to create seven additional rail corridors of standard gauge railways under the public-private-partnership initiative,” he said.

 

Amaechi said that government would soon sponsor five bills for passage into law by the National Assembly to enable effective private sector participation in the transport sector.

 

The minister said that the bills included the Nigerian Railway Authority Bill; National Transport Commission Bill, National Port and Harbour Authority Bill and the National Inland Waterways Authority Bill.

 

Earlier, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia said the Port Harcourt-Aba train service would boost economic activities and reduce pressure on federal roads in the area.

 

Represented by his deputy, Mr Ude Okochukwu, Ikpeazu called on the Federal Government to extend the train services to Ovim through Aba-Omoba-Mbawsi-Umuahia-Uzoakoli-Ovim axis in Abia.

 

He said the Abia Government was willing to partner the Federal Government to rehabilitate the rail tracks on the route and buy coaches that would ply the route.

 

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, represented by Mrs Ebere Wigwe, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Transport, said the project would ease traffic and reduce accidents on the roads.

 

 

(NAN)

Buhari To Discuss Railway, Power Projects In South Africa With Chinese Leader

Posted on by
17

President Muhammadu Buhari will be in South Africa on Thursday to participate in the Forum on China/Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which would hold in Johannesburg on December 4 and 5.

In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media  and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that Mr Buhari, at the forum would follow up his meeting with the Chinese Leader Xi Jinping which took place in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in November.

“President Buhari had indicated to Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader at the bilateral meeting in New York, that he wanted China to re-commence stalled rail projects under new terms that would see China providing nearly all the financing required.

“Of particular interest is the coastal railway project stretching for 1402 kilometers linking Lagos in the West with Calabar in the East; a project that is expected to be financed with 12 billion U.S Dollars Chinese loan and which will create about 200,000 jobs.

“Another rail project that will be up for renegotiation is the 8.3 billion Dollars Lagos-Kano standard gauge modernisation project, of which only a segment, Kaduna-Abuja has reached completion stage”, the statement read.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Union Cautions FG On Railway Privatization

Posted on by
1
Federal Government has been cautioned against taking hasty decision on the planned privatization of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, which may further deplete the fortune of the organization.

Rather, the government was advised to formulate, for guided implementation, a long-term rail transport investment policy that would achieve for the nation integrated transport development, which ultimately would guarantee major future infrastructure renewals.

The Nigerian Union of Railway workers, NUR, stated these in a letter signed by its General – Secretary, Comrade Segun Esan to President Muhammadu Buhari, copied the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo and made available to journalists in Lagos.

The letter warned that the privatization of the railway system by the government would only achieve increasing inequalities in the redistribution of wealth, which would deepen gap between the rich and poor.

Esan insisted that privatization of railway negates the great expectation of the citizenry and the “Change your great political party, All Progressives Congress, APC, promised Nigerians.”

Credit: NationalMirror

VP inaugurates 5 ultra modern rail coaches in Benue

Posted on by
1

Vice President Namadi Sambo will on Friday in Makurdi, inaugurate five ultra modern 68-seater passenger coaches, delivered to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) by a Chinese firm.

NRC’s Assistant Director of Public Relations, Mr Akinwoye Abdulrauf, told Newsmen on Thursday in Makurdi that the inauguration would also signal the beginning of operations of the Makurdi/PortHarcourt intercity passenger service.

He assured transporters that the corporation was committed to the provision of high tech rail services in the country. The vice president will also commission the newly-acquired two 16-seater air-conditioned rail buses and 18 five-seater motorised trolleys. Abdulraouf assured that the facilities would be properly serviced and maintained to ease transportation problems in the country.

He said the delivery of the coaches was accompanied by relevant spare parts to avoid intermittent service failure. He said the Nigerian technical crew, charged with the maintenance of the facilities, was adequately trained to ensure continued service delivery.

Read More: vanguard.com