“We Go for 30 seconds. We stop for 30 minutes”
Michael O Banjo CMILT
TfL Special Requirements Team (SRT) Manager at Transport for London
I use this quote from Ruth Maclean, West Africa Bureau Chief, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/insider/nigeria-niger-river-bridge.html to highlight the problem of transport in Africa today. Ruth’s narrative tells what people go through every day on the clogged, broken roads in most parts of the continent.
Aside from the plethora of news and views, my 2021 Year-in-Transport was given a subtle jolt by the article ‘Designing Transport for Humans, Not Econs’ by Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland published in November 16, 2021 https://behavioralscientist.org/designing-transport-for-humans-not-econs/. African transportation decision makers need to reflect on their intended users and formulate transport solutions that are sustainable.
THE RAILWAYS IN ASCENDANCY?
My year in Transport proceeded to an eventful twist on 4 February 2021 as a panelist at the conference themed “Assessing Railway Development in Nigeria” which was jointly organised by Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its partner, African Railway Consortium. The outputs of the conference have formed part of reflection and action by key stakeholders on railway strategy in Nigeria. There is hope that in the new year, specific action will begin, to address the institutional framework that currently inhibits sustainable investment and management of railways in Nigeria. From a clear statement credited to the Minister of Transportation recently that the major impediments are vested political and economic interests, Nigeria seems to be heading in the right direction by facing them head-on and employing railway and investment professionals to embed a new vision for railways. Yet, the problems of poor transport provision, decrepit assets and inadequate policy management continue to plague African countries. News headlines reported the reality of these concerns and developments.
In the context of policy actions, it was reported that in Nigeria, the Central Bank disbursed U.S.$145 million to fund Rail Infrastructure in Lagos. This seemed to be an aspect of federal and state government collaboration. This is in the midst of the debate on the absence of a coherent national policy on transport that clearly determined the scope of stakeholder participation in railways.
Notably, President Buhari broke the ground to begin building of the $1.2bn Kaduna-Kano Rail Line. It was also reported that President Muhammadu Buhari officially launched the U.S.$1,9 billion Nigeria and Niger Republic rail line project. The project is being executed by a Portuguese multinational engineering, and construction company Mota-Engil Group due to be completed in 2023.
A major policy shift was indicated when it was reported that Nigeria was looking to non-Chinese funding for infrastructure projects on account of an alleged debt profile of $3.4b in March 2022. It was on this context that a report stated that Nigerian Govt Ditches China, Seeks $14.4 Billion Rail Loan From Standard Chartered. It appears that Nigeria is focusing on public-private partnerships to tackling infrastructure deficit. This is long-overdue but the real test will be what comes of the competition between those parties vying to seize control of the transport infrastructure.
And just as it seemed that railways were becoming a regular feature in travel choices, several problems reared their heads.
First, rolling stock problems; second, vandalism and theft; third, staff issues.
Not unexpectedly, since there will always be technical issues with new equipment, brought into service, Nigeria’s Chinese-built trains suffered a spate of failures. It didn’t help that NRC employees were accused of selling tickets via the black market, including selling tickets to unsuspecting travellers despite free travel having been announced during the recent Christmas holiday. Will poor management be the nemesis of the ambitious rail investment?
These were embarrassing to the government because it played into the national skepticism about the ability of Nigeria’s railway operator, Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, to run an efficient service. This also revealed a certain weakness in operational resilience and contingency planning for such a failure. There was also the problem of theft of permanent way equipment which imperiled safe operation. Security concerns about sabotage by bandits and terrorist materialised in October 2021 when the Abuja-Kaduna service was suspended after an attack by bandits (or vandals). The service resumed the next day after repairs. However, the NRC’s post-incident procedures need to be reviewed considering the way passengers were cared for at the time.
I must say here that in September I travelled on the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service on a day trip between both cities. The trains are clean. The operations raise concerns about leadership and management capability and long-term viability unless strong measures are taken to address evident gaps. Nevertheless, all things being equal, the potential is huge for many people to abandon the perilous road trips in that axis.
In a similar vein, Cape Town rail enforcers chalked up 238 arrests in their first year as vandalism and theft of rail assets became a threat to safe and optimal operations.
COALFACE OF MOBILITY IN AFRICA
Nothing better illustrates the real face of Africa’s transportation quagmire than the spate of reports on accidents and near-misses that take hundreds of lives and injures many more.
On Sunday 7 February 2021, a fuel tanker exploded in Abuja, killing 11 people, and injuring 10 others. This is not an isolated incident on Nigeria’s overused road network where haulage and freight jostle with passengers and pedestrians in a deathly dance. These incidents sit at the centre of poor national road policy, weak regulation of assets, processes, and operators.
DEATH BY TRAVELLING ON THE WATER
Nowhere is this failure more evident than in water transport in Nigeria. It is pathetic.
A total of 154 persons were confirmed dead following a boat mishap on 26 May 2021 in Kebbi State of Northwest Nigeria.
On November 30, 2021, at least 20 people died in Bagwai Local Government of Kano State in northwest Nigeria after a boat they were sailing in capsized due to overloading. Seven people were killed in the boat mishap that occurred on Sunday at Zhigiri village, Shiroro Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Niger State. In October 2021, many funeral guests were feared dead when a jetty collapsed in Nigeria’s Rivers State allegedly due to its deteriorating condition.
An investigation by Daily Trust said ‘…these large water bodies which connect 28 of the 36 states of the federation have become gateways of tragedies due to the near absence of infrastructure and supervision.’ It is believed that in Nigeria, 350 people died in boat accidents in 2020 and about 289 so far in 2021. That is a huge number.
Boat accidents also took many lives in other parts of the continent.
South Sudanese authorities also ordered an investigation after ten people including five children died after a boat capsized last week in the Kaka Tjiraria area on the White Nile River in the Upper Nile region. A directive was made at the time by local authorities that boats’ unions should not mix passengers with cargo. That’s a hard distinction to make.
Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is another hotspot for boat accidents killing many people every year.
Even as I have only highlighted this handful of places, there is no doubt that water transport is a high-risk activity for many users. African countries must pay attention to this issue in 2022.
Good news from Lagos – Lagos State water transport usage rises to 3.2% in 2021. One to watch in 2022.
Some of The Good Stuff of 2021
Nigeria approves $11.17 billion Lagos-Calabar rail to link Nigeria’s coastal cities
Boeing accepts liability for Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash
Nigeria helped Sierra Leone to establish its Accident Investigation Agency.
South Africa plans to introduce third-party operators and competition in the rail sector
Nigerian regional airline, Ibom Air, is close to a deal to buy at least 10 A220 jets from European planemaker Airbus, delegates at the Dubai Airshow said on Sunday
Residents of Kisumu thronged the new Kisumu Railway Station on Friday evening to witness the arrival of the train from Nairobi.
Nigeria sets in motion plans to unbundle its national railway operator
Anambra International cargo/passenger airport commissioned in Umueri
Lagos-Ibadan Train Service is filling a gap on that travel corridor
Nigeria’s FG approves new tolling policy
THE GOOD STUFF TO LOOK FOR IN 2022
Niger Bridge will be completed by 2022
Lagos blue rail lines to be ready by Dec. 31, 2022
Diversity & Inclusion in Transport 2022
Africa should develop its own electric vehicle agenda
Waterway Transport – An Urgent Plan of Action
Infrastructure Financing – Reflections on Current Strategy
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