Nigeria, seemingly is back to track as the revamped railways sector has facilitated the long haul of containerized cargoes by rail to distant parts of Nigeria as far as Kano and Kaduna.
Stretching over 1,000 kms away from APM Terminals, Apapa Wharf, Lagos, perhaps even more importantly, for many Nigerians, the new haulage containerized rail line could provide some immediate relief to a deeply troubled economy.
Local business leaders believe other local industries like cement, textiles and food production are also stagnated by the lack of affordable, safe transportation.
Ill-kept roads connecting the North and Southern parts of Nigeria have long prevented goods from arriving on time, or at all.
However, in decades, with 20 loaded wagons on the maiden trip (each can carry two 20fts or one 40ft containers), between 20 and 40 trailers or trucks will be off the roads, reducing incidents and wear and tear on our motorways.
Supplies arriving in Nigeria’s southern ports often never make it to the north. And the food grown in the north often ends up rotting in the fields because the cost of the fuel to drive it to markets is often more than their value.
As the official line goes, however, the new train connecting Lagos and Kano is the solution to many of these problems.