By Fidelis Ugbomeh
Concerned about infrastructural deficit in Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) especially on narrow gauge railway corridor, Director of Operations, Bueno Logistics Limited, Mr. Paul Ndibe has implored management of corporation to seek private sector partnerships in provision of rail infrastructures especially now that transportation has been removed from exclusive to concurrent list by the National Assembly.
He spoke against the backdrop of the “Rail in States”, initiative of the corporation’s management aimed at encouraging state governments to invest in provision of rail infrastructures so as to sustain rail development which is capital intensive.
Ndibe said that the management should unbundle the railways through private sector participation in order to bring about sustainable development in rail sector compared to state governments adding that Lagos and Rivers state governments invested in provision of rail infrastructures due to the high population and business environment that could sustain passenger/goods train service.
“How many states in this country can afford to invest in a capital intensive project like railways which does not guarantee immediate return on investment?” Ndibe asked
While alluding to the fact that the corporation needs to acquire locomotive engines to justify the much touted resumption of long distance passenger and freight train service from Lagos to Kano and Port-Harcourt, he called for repair of vandalized railway tracks especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country.as a prelude to resumtion of long distance train service.
On increase in container freight by rail and drastic fall in cost of moving containers by road within Lagos and environ as speculated in some quarters, Ndibe attributed increase in container freight traffic to seasonal increase in export goods like Cashew Nuts, Cereals, Timber, Cocoa to mention but a few to other countries.
Apart from a weekly evacuation of import goods in containers from A .P Moller terminal to Moniya in Oyo state based on memorandum of understanding between management of NRC and A.P.Moller, he disclosed that Bueno Logistics is involved in the evacuation of bulk cargo like Gimson from ENL terminal to Ewekoro via Papalanto in Ogun state by rail.
The director operations stated further that the company is involved in the movement of cement through the narrow gauge railway line from Ewekoro to Osogbo in Osun state and Ilorin in Kwara state respectively.
According to him, the company also participates in evacuation of imports from A.P. Moller terminal to inland container depot at Iddo for onward transfer by road to their various destinations.
Ndibe also said that some importers have now realised that instead of drivers waiting on queue for days in order to gain access into the Lagos port, it is better to transit containers by rail to Moniya freight station at Ibadan and move same by road at a reasonable cost to their owners.
He was however quick to add that the country is yet to benefit from the potential of constructing standard gauge from Lagos to Ibadan because the 157 kilometres distance from Lagos to Ibadan is limited.
The director also called for the extension of standard gauge railway line from Ibadan to Kano and Port-Harcourt so as to reap the full potential of standard gauge rail network which is faster and safer.
