Nigeria-Niger Rail Project Driven by Economics, Not Politics – Amaechi

Nigerian government’s resolve to develop a railway network in northern Nigeria that connects Kano to Katsina and then the city of Maradi in the Republic of Niger is borne out of economic necessity and not politically motivated, Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi said on Friday.
Politicising the standard gauge rail line construction could do the project no good. Amaechi believes the project will deliver more jobs and ease goods importation and exportation across Nigeria’s borders with its West African neighbours.
“I made that decision because there is a competition between the coastal states of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana,” Mr Amaechi said of the planned construction.

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“The other three countries are able to move cargoes from these landlocked countries to their seaports for either export or import.
“They are able to do those businesses but we are not able to do them because the landlocked countries are complaining of crimes. The roads are not safe in Nigeria; there is custom interference, police checkpoints here and there.”
The Federal Executive Council last Wednesday assented to the project which will build a network of tracks spanning Kazaure, Dambatta, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s home town.
It will cost $1.96 billion and will be funded with a loan from China.
Construction of warehouses capable of bringing patronage through freight from Nigeria’s neighbours and conveying them successfully to Apapa or Tincan seaports for import and export purposes is also in the pipeline, according to the minister.

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“Or we can make them import through our seaports and we drop it off at Maradi where they can use their cargoes,” he added.

Nigerians have criticised the planned railway link to Maradi on the grounds that Niger has a very small economy. Niger has a GDP of 9.291 billion USD (2018); the economy is dominated by subsistence agriculture. The main exports are uranium, livestock, cowpeas and onions. Niger’s export was worth only $1.177 billion in 2017.