If there is one thing the Southeast Region badly needs for inter-state mobility and cohesion, that thing is a common rail line connecting all the states in the zone. Many years ago one could travel by rail from Nkalagu, Enugu, through Otuocha, to Umuahia and then to Port Harcourt. Today, however, that is no longer the case as no rail services exist anywhere in the entire region.
Its absence, among other things, has robbed the region of the ease of transportation of agricultural produce to other parts of the zone. This is not to talk about affordability of that mode of transport. For instance, a trip by rail from Abuja to Kano does not cost more than N7, 000, compared to what it will cost by road. It is also a safer means of transportation as rail accidents are few and far between.
But owing to a series of reasons, among which is that of the vexed issue of marginalization, the entire Southeast is now without a rail line. Even when the Federal Government of Nigeria came up with what it called the National Rail Project, an entire region like the Southeast was left out.
This was under the Muhammadu Buhari regime. Rather, under the project, the proposed rail line was to go through his home state of Katsina to neighbouring Niger Republic, even when there was no discernible importance of Katsina to the economic and commercial well-being of the country. This was in contrast to the huge industrial, economic and commercial importance of the Southeast as seen in cities like Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi and Abakaliki.
It was therefore thought that the Governors of the zone under the aegis of the Southeast Governors’ Forum, would see the need to revive these rail lines to traverse all the industrial, commercial and agricultural areas of the region but that has so far seemed to be very far from their agenda. Quite disappointing, it must be noted.
But what appears a shining light at the end of the tunnel has come from the decision of the Government of Anambra State under Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to build rails across major cities in Anambra State in what promises to be a major game changer.
Speaking to a select audience recently in Lagos, Gov Soludo announced that the master plan for the intra-city and inter-city railway network for Anambra, which was designed by a Canadian firm, CPCS, was ready. Gov Soludo also reiterated his vision for improved mobility in the Southeast when the leadership of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) visited him in Awka recently. Governor Soludo advised the leadership of SEDC to consider linking all the state capitals in the south east with a railway network in one legislative cycle.
Linking the Southeastern states with a railway infrastructure will not only improve a common market in the region, it will catapult the region’s socio-economic prosperity. A railway and a ring road that connect all the major cities of the Southeast will improve mobility, create jobs and even improve security in the region.
It will reduce the pressure on roads in the region and will also help in the haulage of heavy goods – this will help Southeastern roads to last longer.
But knowing how difficult this can be, Soludo’s advice to the SEDC to look in this direction becomes all the more important.
But back to Anambra, the rail line is to connect cities like Awka, Ekwulobia, Onitsha and Nnewi. We understand that the Anambra State Government intends to start with the connection of these four major cities with this proposed railway infrastructure. Afterwards, there will be railway spurs to other towns and cities within the state. This will revolutionize the transport sector in the state and truly place the state ahead of every other Southeast state.
It is also expected to spur other Southeast states into embracing this kind of thing and eventually lead to interconnectivity among all the states of the zone. Its economic, agricultural and commercial implications will be awesome and will trigger the independence of the Southeast Region from the rest of Nigeria.
Souldo’s rail line dream is one that we all should be praying to succeed and even if it doesn’t come to full fruition in his regime, succeeding regimes will have no choice than to continue and finish it. It is a very laudable proposal which requires courage and determination. We pray it succeeds.
