As Nigeria lives with the high cost of basic food items, are we aware of the fact that opening the following high speed railway lines and moving freight off our roads will at least halve distribution costs

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Lagos to Calabar

[2] Lagos to Abuja

[3] Lagos to Kano

[4] Makurdi to Abuja

[5] Makurdi to Lagos

[6] Makurdi to Kano

[7] Abuja to Maiduguri

[8] Port Harcourt to Abuja

[9] Makurdi to Port Harcourt

[10] Abuja to Sokoto

Why is this so? Let me tell you why:

[1] If we move freight off road and on to rail, whatever happens with the petrol subsidy becomes irrelevant

[2] High speed rail is electric. It is not subject to the vagaries of the petroleum market and the shenanigans of the oil marketeers

[3] Moving freight on to rail will automate the process and improve efficiency significantly

[4] Moving freight on to rail will eliminate all these trailer accidents we are currently witnessing across Nigeria

[5] This step will eliminate food rotting away because it cannot get to markets on time

[6] This step will cut out the need for middlemen, as it will spur the growth of vertically integrated providers

[7] This step will banish once and for all the “Apapa syndrome” in Nigeria. The efficiency savings will be huge

[8] This step will open up the opportunity for refrigerated rail carriages that will preserve the life of fruit and vegetables

[9] This step will open up opportunities for mobile processing, allowing for value-addition while food is actually being transported

[10] Moving the distribution of food on to rail will end the syndrome of trailers being looted. Just look at how many trailer loads of rice get attacked monthly across Nigeria.

Ayoakinfe@gmail.com