Olawale Rasheed, Managing Director, African Railway Consortium (AFRECO) is seeking a railway network to link up Nigeria and other West African countries that open up the region for better trade opportunities.
AFRECO works locally and internationally on railway development and the CEO feels Nigeria needs more transnational railway lines to expand its trade and economy within the African continent.
“Just like the Kano-Mahradi railway project, we need Maiduguri-Ndjamena railway line, and and an ECOWAS trans-west African Railway from Lagos to Abidjan and a line from Cross Rover to Cameroon” he said on a Radio Nigeria Network”.
According to Rasheed, ” the project will open up a densely populated areas of both Nigeria and Niger republic to an expanded economic relationship, serving interest of Nigerian exporters and drawing Niger closer into Nigeria’ orbit of influence. Nigeria supplies almost two third of Niger’s cereals needs, a trade that will get more boosted and more formalised.
The African biggest economy is reviving its railway network across the country and some like Kaduna- Abuja, Ibadan -Lagos route promises to expand and integrate two major industrial centres of South West.
“The transnational project is needed to expand Nigeria’s economic reach and influence as the biggest economy in Africa within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Expanded trading will alleviate poverty and create new opportunities. Corridor development along the route will engender rural development , boost rural economy and move many citizens into the railway economy. That project will speed up the revival of Kano as
Rasheed is optimistic that the Kano-Maradi line will provide ready markets for budding exporters in Kano and other areas. It will particularly energise the Kano Export Processing Zone which has several companies producing many industrial products.
It is a dream come true for Niger republic using to the historic ethnic and religious affiliation between the two countries. Just like the ethnic bond between Nigeria and Benin republic, the rail project promises to change internal economic dynamics of Niger republic. Nigerien imports may be redirected to Nigerian ports especially with the strong presence of Bollore logistics in Lagos.”, the AFRECO boss said.
He called on the Federal Government to persist in its expansive railway development agenda, calling on the administration to act even more boldly by rolling out a private sector oriented fast train between North and South, to hand over interstate link rail lines to private sector.
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