RAILLWAY ENGINEERING AND ITS EFFECT ON

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

A Paper presented at the August eet!ng "# The N!ger!a S"$!et% "#
Eng!neers& Warr! 'ran$h
'%
Engr& Oghenetee Pupu (MNSE)&
(M&Te$h& C!*!+ Eng!neer!ng& (,!gh-a%s . Transp"rtat!"n))
August /012
RAILWAY ENGINEERING AND ITS EFFECT ON AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
IN NIGERIA
By Engr. Ogheneteme O. Pupu (MNSE)
ABSTRACT
Affordable and efficient transportation system is a key ingredient for sustainable
development in the agricultural sector of any nation. There is enormous evidence that
the railways can provide the most cost-effective, affordable, energy-saving and
environmentally-friendly form of transportation in any nation. Transportation and
Agriculture are symbiotically related in the services they render to nation building,
hence, the effective distribution of our agro-allied products is significant to the socio-
economic development of Nigeria. The colonial administration invested handsomely in
railway development to boost agriculture which research shows contributed about 50
of the revenue in !"5#. This paper therefore e$amines the impact of an efficient and
effective railway transportation system on Agricultural development in Nigeria and
suggests measures to ensure that the integrity of the rail transportation system is
maintained for optimum operability. The paper discussed the history and growth of
railway systems in pre-and post-independent Nigeria, the advantages of railway
transportation of agricultural products over other sources of transportation and the
impact of railway construction on agriculture in the %.& and 'ritain. (hile supporting the
present efforts of the )ederal government in constructing standard gauge railway tracks
and the use of *ublic *rivate *artnership +***,, the paper concluded that one would
need about seven times the same land area to develop a highway than you would need
for a railway, thereby having enough arable land for farming and-or agriculture. As the
Nigerian government is making efforts to diversify her revenue source from a mono-
product +crude oil, economy into a multi-product one, one thing is certain. the key to
increasing productivity of agricultural land, labor and production inputs and outputs is
through a virile and sustainable railway system.
Keywords: /ailway, Transportation, Agriculture, Agricultural
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page #
INTRODUCTION
Transportation is an inde$ of economic, social and commercial development of a nation.
The transportation industry which undertakes the movement of persons and goods from
one place to another is a very important human activity in every stage of advanced
civili0ation. The success of the industry and commerce of a nation lies on a well laid
down transportation foundation. Transportation enhances the 1uality of life of a people,
it increases the value of ad2oining lands and opens up market for agricultural and agro
related activities. There are 3 main modes of transportation in Nigeria today. these are
+!, /ailways +4, 5ighways and +3, Airways. 6f these, two are land located +i.e.
highways 7 railways,. *rior to the development of modern highways and airports in
Nigeria, railway was the only means of travelling and moving goods from one point to
another. 8At t!t t"#e$ te Br"t"s %o&o'"!& (owers were )ee' to e*(!'d te r!"&w!y
#!"'&y !s ! w!y o+ "#(ro,"'- -o,er'#e't.s re,e'/e tro/- !-r"%/&t/r!& !'d
#"'er!& e*(orts. *alm oil which dominated was wanted as lubricant for the machines
in 'ritain9s factories whilst palm kernels were used to produce soaps and margarine.
:olonial reports show that !# million gallons of palm oil were e$ported from southern
Nigeria in !"0#. ;n that same year the 'ritish colonial authorities budgeted <4m for
e$pansion of the rail network. By 0102$ 34# wort o+ N"-er"! (!&# tree (rod/%ts
!&o'e were 5e"'- e*(orted e,ery ye!r to Br"t!"'6 I' order to !r'ess te
!-r"%/&t/r!& (ote't"!& "' te Nort$ te r!"&w!y w!s e*te'ded to K!'o !'d N-/r/7
+'': news,. This is a clear indication of the intertwined nature and symbiotic
relationship between efficient railway network and the effective distribution of agro-allied
products thereby harnessing and contributing to the National economy particularly at
this time that our focus is on diversifying our revenue base from a mono-product +crude
oil, to a multi-product economy. This paper therefore e$amined the effect-impact of
railway =ngineering-transportation on Agricultural development in Nigeria.
*resently, the Nigeria /ailway system is made up of 3,505 route kilometers and >,334
track kilometers. ;n addition to this are the !"km of !0?@mm gauge e$tension from *ort-
5arcourt to 6nne deep sea port and the 4@@km standard gauge rail construction of
!>35mm from A2aokuta to (arri.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page $
N!ger!an Ra!+ Map3 Ph"t" C"urtes% W!4!ped!a
The Nigeria /ailway :orporation +N/:, which is !!5years old. The /ailway network
comprises of the following lines.
Aagos B Agege B ;faw B ;badan B ;lorin B Cinna B Daduna B Earia B Dano +!,!4?km,
;faw- ;laro +40km,
Cinna B 'aro +!55km,
Earia B Daura Namoda +4>5km,
Dano B Nguru
Daduna B Dafachan B Duru B 'auchi B Caiduguri +##5km,
Duru B Fos +55km,
Dafachan B Cakurdi B =nugu B *ort 5arcourt +@3@km,
6ther e$tensions to the e$isting lines planned since !"#0 have not materiali0ed but are
at different stages of completion.
8ISTORY OF T8E RAILWAYS
The oldest, man-hauled railways date to the ?th century '.:, with *eriander, one of the
&even &ages of Greece, credited with its invention. /ail transport blossomed after the
'ritish development of the steam engine as a viable source of power in the !#th and
!"th centuries. (ith steam engines, it was possible to construct mainline railways,
which were a key component of the industrial revolution. A&so$ r!"&w!ys red/%ed te
%osts o+ s"(("'-$ !'d !&&owed +or +ewer &ost -oods$ %o#(!red w"t s"(("'-$
w"% +!%ed o%%!s"o'!& s"')"'- o+ s"(s6 The change from canals to railways
allowed for Hnational markets9 in which prices varied very little from city to city. &tudies
have shown that the invention and development of the railway in =urope was one of the
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page %
most important technological inventions of the late !"th century for the %nited &tates,
without which, GI* would have been lower by @.0 in !#"0.
RAILWAY ENGINEERING IN NIGERIA
/ailway construction in Nigeria began in !#"? from the ;ddo area with e$tensions made
along the Aagos route with stops at 6tta, ;fo, Arigba2o, *apa Alanto, Abeokuta and
;badan in !"0!. )inancial reasons hampered further development of the railway in
&outhern Nigeria.
;n the early years of the Aagos railway, the colonial intentions of Governor CacGrogor
and =gerton was to develop a railway line from Aagos to the furthermost parts of
Northeastern Nigeria and to open the interiors of &outhwestern Nigeria to commerce..
;n !"0>, official sanction was given for the commencement of a rail road linking ;badan
with 6sogbo and ;lorin and in !"0@ the construction of ;lorin to Febba route was
approved.
*roposals to link 'enin and &apele by rail in !"0? and ;badan with 6yo in !"0@ did not
materiali0e.
;n &eptember !"0@, the 'ritish government approved a credit of 4 million pounds in
furtherance of developing a railroad from 'aro +lower point of the Niger, with Dano. The
e$pectation was that this will reduce the time and cost of transporting troops from one
garrison to another and also ease the cost associated with transporting goods across
the North. A&so$ te Br"t"s Cotto' Grow"'- Asso%"!t"o' !d !' "'terest "' see"'- !
r!"&ro!d to te %otto' -row"'- !re!s "' Norter' N"-er"!6 Te r!"&ro!d w"&& -o +ro#
B!ro$ to B"d!$ 9/'-er/$ 9!r"! !'d +"'!&&y to K!'o6 The construction started in !"0@
and was completed in !"!!.
;n !"!! also, a rail line linking Apapa to =bute-Cetta was built.
The /ailway system officially came into e$istence in 6ctober, !"!4 when )rederick
Augard merged the pre-e$isting Aagos government railway and the 'aro-Dano railway
to become the :N"-er"!' R!"&w!y:. The merger further enhanced the desirability of
merging the Northern and &outhern Nigeria protectorates.
The rail transport system employed Nigerian workers from the various ethnic groups in
the country and was known as having a diversified workforce which also included (est
;ndians. *rior to the creation of the Nigerian /ailway :orporation, the government
railway department had four core sections, +!, =ngineering department +4, /unning
department +3,Traffic and commercial department +>, Accounts and stores department.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page &
;n !"!4, a line was built linking Febba with Cinna along the Aagos railway, also !"!4, a
light rail from Earia to 'auchi was built. further e$tensions were made along the 'auchi
Aight rail linking the system with the tin producing fields along Fos and 'ukuru. ;n late
!"!4, preparations began for the development of another rail way trunk from the
=astern areas of Nigeria to the countryJs Northeast regions. A deep water port site along
the 'onny /iver in an area previously known as ;saka, now *ort 5arcourt was
subse1uently chosen as the location of the terminal. The new trunk was built to benefit
ma2or economic activities such as the %di coalfields in the =astern and upper 'enue
regions and also Northeastern towns. The financing of the line was mainly appropriated
from Nigerian revenues and reserves.
The railway line ran on two principal North and &outh trunksK one from Aagos to Nguru
and the other from *ort 5arcourt to Caiduguri, both tracts having branch e$tensions.
;n the !"40s and early !"30s, e$tensions such as the Earia-Gusau-Daura Namoda
+!"4", were built. Two others e$tensions were made in !"30, the ;fo-;dogo and the
Dano-Nguru lines.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page '
;n the !"50ss, the railway system in the country came under the coordination of the
Nigerian /ailway :orporation. +N/:,
The Nigerian civil war affected railway operations and in the following decades, the low
interest in e$port commodities and coal resulted in reduced freight haulage,
;n !"@#, the Nigerian ministry of Transport employed the services of an ;ndian groupK
/ail ;ndia Technical and =conomic &ervices to operate the railways. The period also
coincided with large capital outlays from the government to the railway sector, though a
large amount of the money was diverted to an ill-fated change to standard gauge. The
contract resulted in modest positive changes but the contract was not renewed. 'y the
end of the !"#0s, reduced funding from the government, import bans and managerial
problems decreased the performance of the railways.
)rom the !"#0s, the Nigerian /ailway :orporation became hounded by technical and
financial challenges. The use of tracks of narrow gauge and inade1uate designs of
vertical and hori0ontal alignments in addition to low maintenance of the facilities
resulted in slow speeds for trains.
After about 50 years of neglect, the )ederal Government seems to have reali0ed the
importance of efficient rail transport system in solving the country9s transportation and
economic problems. 5aving committed billions of naira into revitali0ing the hitherto
comatose industry, the government feels it is time Nigerians en2oyed rail transport
again. According to the HIraft National Transport *olicy9, published in August 40!0 by
the )ederal government, 8the Nigerian railway system has the potential to provide an
efficient and cost-effective means of transportation, particularly on long distance routes
serving high density traffic flowsL. The document read in partsK ;R!"&w!ys %!' (ro,"de
te #ost %ost<e++e%t",e$ !++ord!5&e$ e'er-y<s!,"'- !'d e',"ro'#e't!&&y<+r"e'd&y
+or# o+ tr!'s(ort!t"o'$ we' tr!++"% de's"t"es !re "-6 Te r!"&w!ys !re !&so we&&
s/"ted +or te #o,e#e't o+ &!r-e '/#5ers o+ "'ter<%"ty (!sse'-ers !'d "-
,o&/#es o+ %o't!"'er"sed %!r-o or 5/&) +re"-t s/% !s o"&$ %o!&$ stee& or
!-r"%/&t/r!& (rod/%e76
*resident Fonathan9s symbolic train ride came following a successful launch of
Caiduguri-Iuwari Cass Transit Train &ervice +CTT&, last year. Already, the corporation
has begun mass transit train services in Fos, Dano and Daduna and Aagos. After the
launch of the Aagos- Dano train in Iecember 40!4, officials of the Nigerian Government
said they are optimistic that the current revitali0ation of the railways will address
transportation challenges faced by businesses in cement, te$tiles and the food industry
which have been stagnated by unaffordable and unsafe transportation system for many
years.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page (
.According to a recent '': report on the Aagos BDano line 8Nigerian 6fficials hope that
this could alleviate some of the prevalent poverty faced by the people of Northern
NigeriaL. :ontinuing, the '': reported that 8ill kept roads connecting the North and
south of Nigeria have long prevented goods from arriving on time or not at all. &upplies
arriving Nigeria9s southern ports often never make it to the North, and the food grown in
the North often end up rotting in the fields because the cost of fuel to drive it to the
markets is often more than the value of the yields at market priceL.
Today, Nigerians are hauling goods like cement, steel and steel products, light and
medium duty vehicles through the railroads. The trains also carry cash crops like wheat
from the North to the &outh
:ommenting on the commissioning of the Aagos B Dano Train Aine, the %nited &tates
Ambassador to Nigeria, Cr. Terence *. Cc:ulley said 8M these kinds of links, as we9ve
seen in our own country with the continual railroad in the !"th century, really succeeded
in knitting the economies of our continents together, so ; think it is greatL.
RAILWAY IN NIGERIA$ AGRICULTURE AND T8E BRITIS8 GOVERNMENT:
;n his report and recommendation to the ;nternational bank for reconstruction and
development on April 4>th !"5# for the approval of a proposed loan of N4#million for a
total term of 40years, with interest +including commission, at 5.5 to then )ederation of
Nigeria to help finance a program of for moderni0ing and e$panding the e$isting
facilities of the Nigerian /ailway :orporation and for e$tending the railway to the
Northeastern province of 'orno, the president of the bank =ugene /. 'lack wrote
;Te r!"&w!y "s te 5!%)5o'e o+ N"-er"!.s tr!'s(ort syste#6 It %!rr"es
!((ro*"#!te&y 4=> o+ !&& te tr!++"% !'d&ed$ !'d !%%o/'ts +or #ost o+ te &o'-
d"st!'%e !/&!-e 5etwee' te "'ter"or !'d te %o!st6 A s/5st!'t"!& (!rt o+
N"-er"!.s #!?or e*(orts$ (!rt"%/&!r&y -ro/'d'/ts$ %otto'$ !'d t"' ores$ !'d
,!r"o/s &o%!& +ood st/++ !re #o,ed 5y r!"&7
8The corporation plans to construct about >00miles of single track new line from kuru
on the central plateau to Caiduguri, through the northeastern provinces of 'auchi
and 'orno. This is a potentially rich area, the development of which until now has
been hindered by lack of suitable transportation. We' te 'ew &"'e "s 5/"&t te
!re! so/&d 5e !5&e to "'%re!se "ts o/t(/t o+ -ro/'d'/ts !'d %otto'
s/5st!'t"!&&y !'d (ro,"de #ore %!tt&e !'d +ood -r!"'s +or do#est"%
%o's/#(t"o'L
(hile 2ustifying the prospect for the fulfillment of obligation of the loan which the %nited
Dingdom guaranteed, the bank president further stated 8Nigeria has a fairly well-
diversified peasant economy. &he grows the bulk of her own food, produces roughly
one-third of world e$ports of palm oil and groundnuts and one-half of those of palm
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page )
kernels, and also accounts for more than one-seventh of the world9s supply of raw
cocoa, about "0 of its columbite and about 5 of its tin.L At that time oil has not been
found in commercial 1uantity only an indication that it may be found in commercial
1uantity. The report further stated that 8Though her e$port receipts are susceptible both
to local variations in weather and in world prices for the cash crops she produces, the
effect of this on her international payments position both by the diversity of her crops
and by the fact that when farmers9 incomes from these fall, the demand for imported
consumer goods +over 50 of total imports, also contracts and tends to redress the
balanceL. This means that both the 'ritish government and the bank believe that only
sales from agricultural products can repay the loan in 40 years.
U6S6 AGRICULTURE AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION
A study carried out by Carvin =. *eter, of the Transportation &ervices Iivision, %.&.
department of Agriculture, and ? others, shows that the %.&. Agriculture depends on rail
transportation., this is because agricultural producers B farmers are dispersed over the
entire country and unlike other producers they are unable to move their operations, they
are tied to the land and climate conditions. They must be able to transport their products
to the market and sea ports.
According to the report the wheat shippers in much of the Great plains have no cost B
effective alternative mode of transportation than railroads. :onse1uently wheat
transportation is principally dependent on rails, the report stated that in 400@ only ??
of all wheat and wheat efforts were moved by rails.
6ther findings by the study reveal the following
/ailways transported more than @0 of the grains and oil seeds originated in
Contana and North Iakota during the crop marketing years of from 400> to 400@
/ailroads transported @# of North Iakota crops during the crop marketing year of
400>
Iuring the crop marketing years 400>-400@, railroads transported 50 of the grain
production of Ari0ona, 6klahoma, and &outh Iakota. (hile in the states of ;daho,
;ndiana, Dansas, Cinnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, 6hio, Tennessee, and (ashington,
rail moved more than 30 of grain production.
RAILWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
The ma2or reason for the construction of railway in Nigeria was to open up the
hinterland for the e$ploitation of agricultural and mineral resources, as well as providing
leverage for strengthening colonial political administration +Faekel !""@,. 6f the total
goods trafficked in !"04, agricultural products contributed ?> percent +Nigerian /ailway,
!"33,. The percentage of agricultural products trafficked by railways increased to an
average of ?>.5 between !"3!-!"3@ 7 !">?-!"50. +Table!,.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page *
T!5&e 0: /ailway Goods trafficK !"3!-3@ and !">?-50
Oear Total Goods
+*aying, Traffic
Total Agricultural
*roducts +Traffic,
Agricultural to
Total Goods
!"3! B 34 5#!,0"> 3>0,"!4 5#.@
!"34 B 33 ?!3,550 3"5,54! ?>.5
!"33 B 3> 5"",5>? 3">,03? @5.@
!"3> B 35 ?4>,>>5 >4!,53# ?@.5
!"35 B 3? @0",!04 >4",?#0 ?0.?
!"3? B 3@ #"!.#># 55?,"3" ?4.>
!">? B >@ "?@,40? ??0,@4? ?#.3
!">@ B ># #"4,?@? 5#0,@4? ?5.!
!"># B >" !,04>,#"? ??0,0?# ?>.>
!">" B 50 !,0>5,"?# ?"?,0!? ??.5
So/r%eK =ffect of /ailway construction on the growth of =$port agriculture +6nyewuenyi
40!!, Adapted from Annual Reports on the Nigerian Railway
)rom the point of e$ternal trade, the most important result of railway engineering was
the establishment along the routes of =uropean firms, the collection centers in a manner
of the riverine and coastal stations. These firms and centers rapidly attracted markets
and trading communities around them and formed the nuclei of e$panding into new
commercial towns. &ome of the older towns with long commercial traditions developed
into buying centers for agricultural e$port goods. ;badan became a cocoa centre. Earia
was associated with cotton, and Dano with Groundnuts, hides and skins +&chat0l,
!"@3,.
The imbalance in modal share between rail and road transportation emerged after the
!"?0s, before and up till then, the railways carried over ?0 per cent of the freight
tonnage compared to its current share of less than two per cent.
The highest number of passengers carried was !5.5 million in !"#> and the highest
volume of freight was 4.> million metric tonnes in !"@@. 'y 4000-!, traffic had fallen to
two million passengers and less than 300,000 metric tonnes of freight. The railway now
accounts for less than one per cent of land transport in the country. 'etween 4000 and
40!0, the rail passengers carried annually were barely up to two million, while the
tonnage of the freight or goods conveyed was not up to !@0,000 tonnes in any year.
+6su2i 40!3,
Te NRC !s te %!(!%"ty to #o,e %e#e't$ r"%e$ s!&t$ s/-!r$ +ert"&"@er$ we!t$ 5"&&et$
%!rs$ %o"&$ (etro&e/# (rod/%ts !'d oter -e'er!& -oods6 Oter tr!++"% "'%&/des
%!tt&e$ r!#s$ -r!"'s$ )!o&"'$ %&"')er w"% !re so/t<5o/'d tr!++"%6
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +,
RAILWAY COST AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
:ost of transportation is ma2or determinant of the prices payable to the producers of
agricultural products. 'etween !"00 and !"50 the estimated cost of transport per ton
km was !.0#d by river, 4.!?d by rail and >.50d by road. 'ecause of the principle of low
freight rates on the railways and government subsidy, the network competed favorably
with the river system +6nyewuenyi 40!!,
The railways increased the agricultural production of the hinterland by giving the
farmers access to the best markets at low transportation costs. The aim of the railway
has always been to supply transportation at the cheapest possible costs to the
communities. To encourage the people to use the railways, the third class fares were
fi$ed at 0.!?d per passenger-kilometer and this included a luggage allowance of 45.>kg
for each passenger +:olonial /eport, Northern Nigeria, !"3>,. ;n !">5 there was a
minimum of <3 difference prices between the railway and non-railway location. This was
a strong incentive which motivated producers to the railway buying stations. Groundnut
for e$port was bought <!4 per ton at buying station on the railway and a minimum of <"
per ton at non-railway locations. This <3 led to the concentration of buying activities at
certain centers along the railway.
RAILWAYS AND PATRONAGE BY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
(hilst it is true that the railway system has been effective in promoting e$port crop
production, the response of the different crops to and their dependence on the system
varied greatly. The variance has been due mainly to the nature of the crop, the spatial
configuration of its producing area, and demand for the crop. (hen then /ailway was
e$tended to the producing areas of annual crops like groundnut, cotton, and cashew
nut, the increase in output was noticeable within !# months. )or some three crops like
oil palms, rubber, and gum Arabic that grew wild, increased production resulted almost
immediately with the introduction of rail lines and feeder roads. The response came
much later from crops such as cocoa. :ocoa had to be planted and re1uired between >-
@ years to reach producing age. The market value, transportation cost and the location
of the producing areas were also contributory factors to the response of individual cash
crops to the railway. The production of northern e$port crops seem to have responded
more rapidly and favorably to the system than the southern e$port crops, because the
railway afforded the much needed direct link with the coast and e$ternal market, which
until then had been partially moved by /ail. Table 4 shows the average of agricultural
product moved by rails from !"3! to !"3# and !">? to !"50.
T!5&e A: *ercentage of Total Groundnut, *alm Dernel, *alm oil, :ocoa, and :otton
=$ports moved by /ail, !"3!-34 and !">?-50
Oear Groundnuts *alm *alm 6il :ocoa :otton
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page ++
kernel
!"3! B 34 #>.0 !5.? 45.5 3>.! 5>.4
!"34 B 33 "@.0 4>.4 43.4 3@.3 ?@.#
!"33 B 3> #>.0 !5." 4".@ >>." @".3
!"3> B 35 #".# !".3 !"." 3@." #0.4
!"35 B 3? #".> 44.3 4>." >0.4 ?0.5
!"3? B 3@ ##.@ !#.@ 4@.> 3>.? "4."
!"3@ B 3# #@.? 4!.@ 45.4 3?.@ #0.@
!">? B >@ "#.0 !@.5 >4.# !!." "!.4
!">@ B ># "5.? !?.4 >3.3 #.0 "5."
!"># B >" !3>.>P !5.3 >0." 3.# "4.3
!">" B 50 !04.#P !0.3 3?." 0." "".0
AQ=/AG= @>.0 !@." 30." 4?.> #!.3
So/r%esK So/r%eK =ffect of /ailway construction on the growth of =$port agriculture
+6nyewuenyi 40!!, Adapted from Annual /eports on the Nigerian /ailway. :olonial
/eports on Nigeria. Iepartment of &tatistics +Trade /eports, for the various years
'etween !"3! and !"50, the average percentage railed was @>.0 for groundnut, #!.3
for cotton 4?.> for cocoa and 4>.> for palm produce. The low of cocoa moved by rail
on one hand and the decline on the other hand from !">@ to !"#0 was as a result of the
preference for roads in short distance hauls in the west and also due to fact that e$cept
between ;badan and 6shogbo and the Abeokuta province, railway lines by passed the
main producing areas. (hile the low of palm produces moved by rails was due to
availability of roads for short distance hails +6nyewuenyi 40!!,.
TRANSPORT AND AGRICULTURAL LAND INTAKE
/ailways compared with 5ighways occupy a lower agricultural land, while land road
transport occupies about @> of agricultural land railway transport occupies only 4?,
this is because railway transport need ! hectare of agricultural land to e$ecute ! million
ton-kilometers while road transport need @hectares of agricultural land to e$ecute !
million ton-kilometers.
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +#
Ty("%!& r!"&w!y syste# "' L!-os$ N"-er"!6 Poto Co/rtesy o+ NRC
COMPARISON BETWEEN RAILWAY AND 8IG8WAY TRANSPORTATION
(e intend to compare the various type of land transportation in this chapter this will
later help in the advantage of railroad transportation later.
T!5&e 2: :6C*A/;&6N& '=T(==N /A;A(AO& ANI 5;G(AO&
SBNO6 C!r!%ter"st"%s R!"&w!y
Tr!'s(ort
8"-w!y
Tr!'s(ort
!. Tractive /esistance Tractive resistance of
wheel on rails is less
Tractive resistance
of pneumatic types
of highways is 5-?
times of railway
4. Aoad 5andling :apable of handling
heavier loads at high
speed
Aoad handling
capacity of road
vehicles is low
3. /ight of (ay (idth of /ight of
ways is less for
/ailroads
/e1uires greater
width of /ight of
(ay
>. Aength of 5aul ;t is cheaper and
more convenient to
transport bulk and
heavier goods over a
long distance
Transport of men
and materials for
short distances up
to 500km is
convenient by road.
5. 6rigin and Iestination &tarting and
destination points are
fi$ed.
/eceiving and
delivery of goods
can be done at any
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +$
point.
?. /ight of =ntry The tracks are rigid
and well defined. &o
right of entry is
restricted.
/ight of entry is
free to all
@. 5orse *ower
/e1uirement
The horse power
re1uirement per tone
is lesser.
The horse power
re1uirement per
tone is higher
#. Accident /ate There are few
accidents on
railroads and the
losses incurred as a
result of the
accidents are also
low.
5igher accident
rates recorded on
highways and
losses incurred
from the accidents
are also high.
". :onstruction and
maintenance
=stablishment and
maintenance cost is
higher than that of
roads.
:ost of
construction and
maintenance is
lower than for
railroads
!0 Aand usage 6ccupies less
agricultural land
6ccupies more
agricultural land
!! =nvironmental
friendliness
Aower amount of
emissions and
re1uires a lower cost
to regenerate
damaged
environment
5igher amount of
emissions and
re1uires a higher
cost to regenerate
damaged
environment
PRESENT EFFORTS BY T8E FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA TO REVIVE
T8E RAILWAYS
;n recognition of the very important role of railways in the overall socio-economic
development of the country, a HIraft National Transport *olicy9 was published in August
40!0. ;t says that 8the Nigerian /ailway system has the potential to provide an efficient
and cost-effective means of transportation, particularly on long distance routes serving
high density traffic flows.L;t read in partsK 8/ailways can provide the most cost-effective,
affordable, energy saving and environmentally-friendly form of transportation, when
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +%
traffic densities are high. Te r!"&w!ys !re !&so we&& s/"ted +or te #o,e#e't o+
&!r-e '/#5ers o+ "'ter%"ty (!sse'-ers !'d "- ,o&/#es o+ %o't!"'er"@ed %!r-o
or 5/&) +re"-t s/% !s o"&$ %o!&$ stee& or !-r"%/&t/r!& (rod/%eL +6su2i 40!3,.
KM A4C DEGINIE o+ te AFAOKUTA<WARRI r!"&w!y &"'e /'der %o'str/%t"o'
The federal government is to spend about 4> billion naira on the upgrading of the
e$isting track lines. According to the N/: Iirector of *ublic /elations, Cr. Iavid
Ndakotsu, the N/: is not only rehabilitating rail tracks, but also ac1uiring new coaches,
power trains, signal and communication e1uipment while embarking on comprehensive
training programmes. The routes currently being rehabilitated are.
*ort 5arcourt B Caiduguru lineK This is proposed tol be completed before the end of
40!3
Earia- Gusau-Daura Namoda line, including moderni0ation pro2ect of *hase !, Abu2a
+;du, - Daduna standard gauge line covering !#@km
The full rehabilitation of the eastern rail lines and this is intended to commence after
a successfully increasing the fre1uency of traffic on the already rehabilitated lines
%pgrading of nineteen +!", identified narrow gauge railway routes-lines to wider
standard gauge lines to increase speed and efficiency in tandem with the railway
traffic ordinances
:ontracts for feasibility studies have been awarded to open up the railway routes in the
underlisted green fieldsK
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +&
Aagos - &hagamu - ;2ebu 6de - 6re - 'enin :ity +300km,
A new standard gauge would run from 'enin - Agbor - 6nitsha - Nnewi - 6werri -
Aba, with additional line to 6nitsha - =nugu - Abakiliki +500km,
Aagos B ;badan - 6shogbo B 'aro - Abu2a high speed +?!5km,
A2aokuta +=ganyi, B 6ba2ana B Fakura B 'aro - Abu2a, with additional line for the
standard gauge from Earia - Daura Namoda B &okoto B;llela - 'irnin Debbi+540km,
:oastal railway line from 'enin B &apele B (arri B Oenagoa - *ort 5arcourt B Aba B
%yo - calabar B Akampa B ;kom - 6budu :attle /anch +?@3km,
A2aokuta B =agnyi B Aoko2a B Aba2i - Abu2a +4#0km,.
The construction of these new government intents and-or endeavors would be done
through *ublic *rivate *artnership +***,. Today the N/: is engaged in freight train
operations crisscrossing the length and breadth of Nigerian covering 4#0 stations in !"
states. According to the :hairman, 'oard of Iirectors, Nigerian /ailway :orporation,
Ir. 'ello 5aliru Cohammed, the revived railway sector will contribute significantly to
Nigeria9s economic drive. 8The aim is that by the end of 40!5, te r!"&w!y syste# w"&&
5e %o'tr"5/t"'- s"-'"+"%!'t&y to te tr!'s(ort "'d/stry$ !-r"%/&t/r!& (rod/%t"o' G
d"str"5/t"o' o+ see#"'- (rod/%ts !'d s/5seH/e't&y to te N"-er"!' e%o'o#y7
CONCLUSION
:ompared to highways, railroads are more agricultural friendly as it re1uires less
agricultural land to construct railways. 'y rehabilitating-upgrading e$isting railways
and the construction-creation of more rail routes in vital areas of needs instead of
highways, more land would be available for agricultural development. This will also
strengthen the farmers confidence in getting their products safely and faster to the
market
The railways which was the backbone of the Nigeria transport system during the
colonial era were greatly utili0ed in the transportation of heavy and bulky
commodities and cargoes like raw materials, ore, agricultural, food and finished
products over a long distance
)armers e$perience lower losses of their agro-allied products as a result of rail
accidents as compared to highway accidents
The railways increased the agricultural production of the hinterland by giving the
farmers access to the best markets at low transportation costs
The present rehabilitation works being done by the N/: and the construction of new
railway lines will bring about development of towns along the routes and also
increase trading activities at the stations as was e$perienced in the colonial era
At this period of the development of our country where the government is trying to
diversify the mono-product +crude oil, based economy, the development of the
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +'
railway =ngineering will encourage growth in the agricultural sector and will increase
foreign e$change earnings from this sector9s e$ports as it did in !"5# +during the
colonial regime,
/ailroad transportation will help flood the market with various agricultural products.
This will help both the farmers whose product will not perish for lack of patronage
and also the consumers who will have what they need in the market at cheaper
cost-price
6n the social aspect the present development in railroad engineering will reduce
rural to urban drift as the rural areas will be opened up to markets, development of
basic social amenities and huge government presence
The present efforts by the N/: on railroad development will also be helpful to young
=ngineers who read railway construction only in books as they now have opportunity
to be involved in the actual construction and have the re1uired e$perience in this
aspect of engineering
/ailroad engineering development will also increase the life span of our highways
and make them safer as the traffic and a$le loads on these highways will be reduced
The present construction and rehabilitation works by the N/: with the aim of
constructing standard gauge tracks in Nigeria will no doubt increase the speed and
efficiency of railroad transportation
/ailroad transport also has the dual advantage of providing employment through
Agriculture and the railway construction - maintenance activities which will reduce
the unemployment figure in Nigeria
REFERNCES:
!. 'isiriyu, /ashed +40!4,. )G 'egins (ork on !0 New Aines. *unch Iecember 4>,
40!4.
4. 'isiriyu, /ashed +40!3,. The Nigerian /ailway :orporation has finally opened its
doors for private sector participation as it unveils plans to link the nation9s airports,
seaports and other areas by rail. *unch Fune!@, 40!3
4. :an Nigeria9s renovated /ailway %nite North and &outhR '': N=(& )ebruary !3,
40!3
3. ;nternational 'ank )or /econstruction and IevelopmentK /eport No *-!5". /eport
and /ecommendations of the *resident to The =$ecutive Iirectors on proposed Aoan
to the )ederation of Nigeria. April 4>, !"5#
>. Faekel ). +!""@,, 5istory of Nigeria /ailway +vol.4,
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +(
5. Curdock, 5eather +40!3,. Nigeria tries to get on Track (ith new Aagos-Dano Train .
?. Nigerian /ailway :orporation.
http-..en.wi/ipedia.org.wi/i.Nigerian0Railway01orporation
@. Nigeria /ailway :orporation. http-..www.nrc2ng.org
#. Nwokpoku, Fonah +40!3,. )g To %pgrade !" /ail Tracks To &tandard Gauge.
Qanguard Fune !@, 40!3
". 6nyewuenyi, N /emy +40!!,. The =ffect of /ailway :onstruction 6n The Growth 6f
=$port AgricultureK The Nigerian =$perience
!0. 6su2i, 6kay. +40!3,. 6nce %pon a Nigeria /ailway :orporation. National Cirror.
Carch 4!, 40!3
!!. *rater, = Carvin. 7 ? others. /ail :ompetition :hanges &ince the &taggers Act.
!4. *upu, 6. 6gheneteme +!""@,. /ail /oad =ngineering and its =ffect on National
=conomy
!3. /ailway Transport in Nigeria.
http-..en.wi/ipedia.org.wi/i.Rail0transport0in0Nigeria
!>. &chat0l, A. +!"@3,. ;ndustriali0ation in Nigeria. A &patial Analysis. CunchenK
(estforum Qerlag
Railway Engineering and its Efect on Agricultural Development in Nigeria. By Engr. Oghenteme
Pupu ( N!E" Page +)