Amby Uneze in Owerri
Abuja-based constitutional lawyer and human rights advocate, Ikenna Ahumibe, has urged President Bola Tinubu to make the expansion and modernisation of Nigeria’s railway(rail transport system) a national priority, saying the country can no longer depend on roads to move most of its passengers and freight.
In an open letter dated October 7, Ahumibe said the federal government has rightly focused on rehabilitating and building roads, but rail deserves equal, if not greater, attention. He described roads and rail as complementary parts of a modern transport system, not competitors.
“Nigeria cannot realistically continue to move the overwhelming volume of passengers and heavy cargo exclusively by road.
“The consequences are already before us: incessant traffic congestion, rapid deterioration of roads, increased transportation costs, road accidents, and an enormous burden on the national economy,” he said.
He cited the recent gridlock on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road, which left motorists stranded for several days, saying that in his view, a functional rail network would have spared many of them the ordeal.
“At least 70 per cent of those motorists could have been spared,” he said.
Ahumibe said cement, agricultural produce, petroleum products, minerals and containerised cargo could be moved by rail, easing pressure on roads, protecting public investment in them and lowering the cost of goods.
He pointed to China’s investment in high-speed and freight rail; India’s dedicated freight corridors, and Japan’s continued rail modernisation.
He also argued that rail would offer a safer, cheaper alternative to road and air travel at a time of rising airfares.
“Rail transportation can become an important instrument for reducing the cost of living and easing the economic hardship currently experienced by millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Commuter and inter-city lines, he added, would let people live in neighbouring towns and travel to work by train, easing congestion, overcrowding and housing pressure in major cities.
The lawyer urged a review of rail projects stalled by contractual, commercial and legal disputes, including the Warri-Itakpe-Ajaokuta line and the Calabar-Maiduguri corridor. He called for transparent negotiated settlement, mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution, where legally available, without compromising public accountability.
He also called for a substantial increase in the annual rail allocation, covering not only new track but also expansion of existing corridors and new regional lines; electrification of strategic routes; modern signalling and communications; dedicated freight corridors and cargo terminals; modernised stations; and protection of rail assets against vandalism and attack.