Nigeria’s Rail Revolution: What have I learnt? (5 things, for now)

After two or so years of following the progress of rail construction projects in Nigeria, I have a few things to say:

1. These things cost money. Infrastructure projects cost money, and governments have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. It’s very easy for people to assume that the private sector should be encouraged to invest in infrastructure, and that all you need is the right ‘enabling’ environment to unlock the floodgates of private capital into any infrastructure project. Reality is kinda different. I can’t quite imagine what kind of ‘enabling environment’ would spur a private investor (individual or corporate) to invest billions of dollars into a thousand-kilometer cross-country standard gauge rail line in Nigeria. It very likely will not happen. Government has to make it happen. (Borrow if need be). Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for exclusive- or substantial-upfront private capital in infrastructure development, but very likely not rail. A national rail network, like rural electrification and rural broadband (i.e high-cost, nationally-important / high-public-value projects with little or no immediate financial returns — and let’s perhaps add ‘high probabilities of requiring initial subsidy’) will almost always make more sense for public rather than private money — or a mix at the very least. Running the completed infrastructure is another story entirely; the strengths here all belong to the private sector! Summary: The right (realistic) response to “We (government) need to borrow or raise taxes to fund our national rail program” is not “Why don’t you create the enabling environment for the private sector to build it?” (More on this infrastructure funding question in a future post. Executive Order 7 of 2019 etc).
2. Carefully managing communities impacted by infrastructure investment is very important. As vital as rail lines are, there will be people and communities who are negatively affected. Land acquisition, demolitions, relocations, etc. These people won’t find the disruption funny and will struggle to see the big picture early on — and it’d be hard to blame them. Whenever you can, take their feelings into consideration and see how you can mitigate the grievances. There were a number of communities near Abeokuta that suddenly found itself cut into two by the rail line. Rather disruptive, you’d agree. They complained about how the rail tracks would now make it very difficult for their children to go to school (which happened to be across the tracks). So there had to be a plan to build at least one pedestrian bridge to make things as normal as possible again. And on a recent inspection tour in Lagos, a rail construction worker watched with amusement the excitement of market women watching the Transport Minister and accompany State Governor (Oyo) walk past. Worker then muses aloud (to me) how, before that day, the women did nothing but cuss out the rail workers. “Now they’re excited,” he observed.
3. There are a million and one things that can cause delays or go wrong. It’s often very easy to assume it’s easy to pull off projects of this nature, especially in a country like Nigeria. As if it’s simply about the funding. Ports bureaucracy can be a big issue, especially when you have to import stuff. Community issues are also a recurring factor. As soon as people here that Government is about to build a road or rail line or some other infrastructure, and they figure out the route, shrines and shacks will start appearing magically. The game is the game. These people will then start claiming outrageous sums in compensation. “Our family shrine has been here since 1442AD.” “You want to demolish my ancestral compound.”Welcome to Nigeria. Some places are apparently easier than others, in terms of community relations. Once, on an Inspection Tour to Abeokuta, the Minister of Transport commended the communities around Abeokuta for their cooperation, contrasting this with the situation across many parts of the Niger Delta, where communities tend to be far more hostile (maybe that’s what naturally happens when you have to, decade after decade, see your oil taken out to develop far-away places and enrich far-away people?)
4. State Governments should be learning from the Lagos experience. The most challenging part of this Lagos-Ibadan Rail project is the 20+km between Apapa and Agege, within the Lagos metropolis; and especially the 5–6 km between Apapa and Ebute-Metta. For a very simple reason: the City is congested. Cutting a rail track through an aged city is exactly like teaching an old dog new tricks; its painful, backbreaking work. Too many obstructions: gas and water pipelines, buildings, bridges, shanties, markets, etc etc. Demolitions and relocations and the negotiations that accompany them take up far more time than construction, it turns out. What’s the big lesson therefore, for other State Capitals? (I’m thinking Abeokuta, Ado-Ekiti, Akure, Kaduna, Awka, Sokoto, Enugu, Lokoja, Ibadan, Yola etc). Learn from Lagos. Carve out the routes for your future rail tracks now, before your cities fill up like Lagos. Even if you’re not building right now, plan ahead, for whenever. Sort out all right of way issues. Get your House of Assembly to pass a law, if necessary, protecting the appropriated (unused-for-now) routes. Better to do it today, when it is easier, than tomorrow, when it will certainly, definitely be harder. And don’t make the mistake of thinking you will forever be too small to need a city-wide rail system. Nigeria is on course to be 400 million people in 30 years.
5. Communicating the journey is important. Infrastructure projects take time, cost money and cause disruptions. People need to know about how things are unfolding — the challenges, delays, frustrations; and how their lives will be changed for the better when the project is completed. One of the reasons why I try to not miss the tours is the chance it affords me to live-tweet the current state of affairs and share bit and pieces of useful information that help people to engage with the project from far away. And you can compare my updates with previous updates and see for yourself the progress of work. It’s extremely important to be open, and to revise previously-released information where necessary. On the last inspection tour for Lagos — Ibadan Rail, Transport Minister Amaechi made it clear the April completion date might no longer be feasible, considering the challenges arising in the corridor between Apapa Port and Ebute Metta. He always ensures the press are taken along on these tours so they can see and report for themselves. There’s nothing to hide (not even setbacks!) as long as you’ve made it clear to the world you’re determined to deliver, regardless of the obstacles on the way!