ASSESSMENT OF PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION

INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES

Abdul-Rahman Taiwo AJALA

Department of Transportation Planning and Management,

The Federal Poytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State.

e-mail:taiwoajala2014@gmail.com

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure occupies a cardinal position in efficient and sustainable city

development. Over the years, Nigerian railway has suffered considerable neglect with grace
consequences on its operations. In the light of the ongoing revitalization of the rail subsector by
present government in Nigeria, there is an urgent need for the assessment of planning and
management of railway infrastructure for sustainable urban development. This paper examines
the extent of decadence of rail infrastructure facilities such as railway stations, rail tracks and
right-of-ways, as well as the level of the encroachment and mis-management of the stations
space and the land/space management policy of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).
Personal observation and questionnaire survey were used for data and information collection.
120 randomly selected respondents were surveyed from three functional stations along Abeokuta
– Dugbe railway corridor namely; Abeokuta, Olokemeji and Ibadan railway stations. Chi-square
technique is used for data analysis. Results confirmed the high level of infrastructural decadence
and encroachment of right-of-way. The level of mismanagement is significant at 0.05 statistical
inference level. The study suggests strategic planning of infrastructure and concessioning as
management options to upgrade and develop rail transportation infrastructure for efficient and
effective handling of passenger and freight traffic.

KEYWORDS: Strategic Planning, Railway Management, Transportation Sustainable,

Infrastructure.
INTRODUCTION

Infrastructure is central to efficient system of any known mode of transportation, be it road, air,
sea and rail. It planning, development and management provide a structure for city existence and
sustainability. However, two basic infrastructures are required for efficient coordination of
transportation system. First, is the ‘way’ and second is the ‘terminal’ or ‘station’ which includes
bus or rail stations, airport and sea ports. Adequacy of these infrastructure, in terms of capacity,
safety and spatial relationship of the various elements within and around. It determine the
efficiency of the transportation system as a whole. Rail transport operations like other modes
depends on three cardinal infrastructure facilities namely, carrying unit, (locomotives and rolling
stock), the way (railway line) and the terminal (stations). The functionality and efficiency of the
system at achieving sustainable urban growth and development depend on all of these.

Nigeria railway was set up in 1988 as colonial Nigeria corporation and commenced operation
with 193km of rail track and with less than 20 stations. Between 1909 and 1927, there was
aggressive development of rail transport infrastructure, which was in six phases of track laying
and station building. These included 295km of Ibadan to Jebba, (1901 to 1909); 565km of Kano
to Borno, (1907 to 1911); 255km of Jebba to Minna, (1909 to 1915); 243km of Port-Harcourt to
Enugu, (1914 to 1916); 220km of Enugu to Makurdi, (1916 to 1924); and the last one in the
phase is 179km of Kaduna to Kafanchan, (1922 to 1927). In addition to these branch lines were
also built from Zaria to Kauranamoda, Kano to Nguru, and Ifo to Idogo. There was no further
development until 1958 when the Borno extension began from Kafanchan and terminated in
Maiduguri in 1964. After the completion of the Borno extension, no new major rail construction
work was embarked upon, until the commencement of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line in the
mid 1990s.

Over hundred years of rail transportation in Nigeria, infrastructure development witness very
marginal improvement. Though there were three prominent attempts at maintaining and
upgrading the infrastructure, but little success was recorded. Routes such as Jos-Port Harcourt,
Abeokuta-Kano, Lagos – Idogo services were suspended because the capacity and safety of the
supporting infrastructure had deteriorated substantially (Adesanya, 2002). Corroborating this,
Ogunsanya (2006) noted that the decline in business operations of Nigeria railway started in
1974 and he attributed it to systemic decay of the corporation’s entire infrastructure. He further
acknowledges that the corporation was caught up in a vicious circle of declining traffic, endemic
deficits and decreasing capacity. For over 100 years of railway operations in Nigeria a total
3505km of railway tracks were laid with complimentary 280 railway stations.

Before now, railway has been playing a pivotal role, on which the nation’s economic system
revolves. The importance of railway is well documented world over it, it role in providing
essential stimulus for administrative control, economic growth and physical development cannot
be overemphasized. Its role in supporting the growth of the Nigerian economy is well captured in
the literature as the main mode of evacuating raw materials for importation and in fact, supported
agricultural productions across the country. In recognition of this fact, the current administration
renewed the commitment to national infrastructural revitalization. In his acceptance speech in
May 2015, Buhari said “we shall implement a national infrastructure master plan that will
provide construction and related jobs across the land, he added that by improving our
transportation infrastructure through road, rail and port construction we expand the other bounds
of economic growth, as no economy can grow beyond the capacity of its infrastructure” (Sahara
Reporter, 2014).

It is therefore imperative to assess the performance of transportation infrastructure, especially the

rail mode which as suffered long years of neglect by successive administrations. However, this
paper focuses on the assessment of planning and management of railway infrastructure for a
sustainable urban development. It examines the extent to decadence of rail infrastructural
facilities such as stations and tracks (right-of-ways), as well as the level of encroachment and
mismanagement of the stations space and the land/space management policy of the Nigeria
Railway Corporation.

CONCEPTUAL ISSUES

Railway Infrastructure

Railway infrastructure includes railway lines and other structures, buildings and equipment
together with the corresponding land, located on railway premises, designed for the management
of passenger of freight transport. Railway line is defined as a railroad that has a start and an end
together with its adjacent strip of land and includes line sections, buildings, structures and
equipment designed to marriage rail traffic, which provide access to the equipment land (UTK,
2015). It is further define to include service facilities, which provide access to the equipment
required for train service and railway lines located in virgin lands where no other structures or
buildings are present are part of railway infrastructure. This conceptual definition of railway
infrastructure gives a holistic view of what to consider as railway infrastructure, of interest to this
study is the spatial arrangement and management of the infrastructure.

However, two main infrastructure are germane, although they subsume other peripherals
infrastructural facilities. They are the railway stations and the right-of-ways of railway line
(track).

Station is defined as a place or a railway line where trains are stopped for the passengers to entre
or disembark and an authority to proceed is given to the train (Gupta and Gupta, 2003). Given
some basic consideration for the location and planning of a functional railway station they also
stated that the railway station should be located as near as possible to a village or town, with easy
approach roads to facilitate the movement of passenger and goods as well. They also emphasized
the provision for future extensions, as a necessary requirement.

The location of railway station must be carefully selected on a railway with adequate
consideration for topography, soil structure, accessibility of water and the supporting populations
that makes it economically viable. A functional railway station must serve all or some of these
purposes: Exchange of passengers and goods, control of movement of trains, facilitate the trains
on a single line track to cross from opposite direction, allow express trains to overtake the train
ahead, for taking fuels and water to locomotive, changing of locomotive and running staff
attaching or detaching wagons and compartments, sorting of bogies to form near trains, housing
of locomotives in loco sheds (Gupta and Gupta, 2003). They also classified stations into three
based on their functions: wayside, terminal and junction stations. The distinguished factor of the
three is their location which also affects the functions they perform; hence the locational
arrangement of a station determines its functions. Wayside stations basically function as a signal
station where train traffic is monitored and provide facility for train overtaking. While a junction
station provides facility for train interchange, terminal stations serves as the starting or ending
point on a railway corridor.

In broad classification of stations, staff quarters are one of the general requirements other than
traffic requirements and locomotive requirements. (Gupta and Gupta, 2003) opined that while
planning for the construction of quarters a minimum clear distance from the centre of the
existing track to the boundary of the quarters should not be less than eight (8) meters, giving
adequate clearance from the future track development and must be on a well-drained area. Ogun
state building plan regulations (2010) gives 30 meters set back from the existing track as
proposed space for future expansion.

The new trend in all rail transport technology has brought a paradigm shift in station planning
and design, away from traditional design of space for basic requirements like, public use, traffic
locomotive and general requirements. Most of these space requirements are now compacted in a
station building. However, Kandee (2001) identified four main functional areas of most
situations as; core, transition, peripheral, and administrative areas. This conceptual spatial
element of a station planning is presented diagrammatically in the figure 1 below.

In his Kandee (2004) definition of the four main areas, he conceptualized the core areas as a
circle surrounded by closely related areas that includes ticketing, information, baggage handling
reclaiming and waiting areas. This space primarily focuses on processing passengers. The transit
areas are spaces that connect transit facilities in the core areas to the transportation modes. This
areas accommodates secondary, but often-essential facilities such as restrooms, telephones, and
commercial spaces. The peripheral area is defined as areas for support circulation outside the
main buildings. They often include platforms, tracks, and vehicle service spaces. The fourth
main area is the administrative area, which is the central area of control for both traffic and
station management. Administrative areas are found only in station type that provides complex
arrangements for handling a large number of passengers and it can be isolated from other
facilities or inserted among them.

Edwards (1997) points out, “the single transport function of the traditional station has given way
to multi-functionalism, which in turn has led to complex and diverse station form” to achieve a
well-planned station, the major physical and functional elements must be linked together, space
capacity to handle numbers of passengers and freight established with adequate consideration for
safety of passengers and freight.

Right of way

Laying of the Railway tracks from Lagos to Ibadan in 1898 by the Colonial administration marks
the beginning of Nigeria railway system (Ekanem and Onakomoya, 1977; Muktar, 2011 and Oni,
2000), and the subsequent extension to the north gave a pattern of north – south rail track. This
was aimed at facilitating transportation of agricultural produce such as groundnut, cocoa, tin,
columbite, cotton, etc. from the hinterland to the coast for shipment to Europe. This was
efficiently achieved up till 1970s (Adesanya, 2002). The railway began to suffer severe neglect
from early 1980s following the discovery of crude oil and instead of using rail, which has
become inefficient, there was a shift to roads and oil pipelines to move petrol.

The existing rail network in the country consists of 3, 505km of narrow gauge tracks and 276km
of standard gauge tracks which connected Ajaokuta (where the country’s steel mill is located) to
Warri (a major oil hub and transit point for goods through its port). The narrow gauge tracks
cover two major rails lines: one connects Lagos and Nguru in the Yobe state (Western corridor);
the other (Eastern corridor) connects Port Harcourt and Maiduguri in Borno state. The single
narrow gauge South. Successive years of neglect have stalled the expansion of the existing
railway network as it has not significantly changed from the legacy bequeathed by the colonial
administration. (Agbaeze and Onwuka, 2014).
Owing to the neglect of the rail track due to low railway operations in some areas and total
closure of some lines, rail tracks were encroached on by nearby villagers and hawkers who have
badly misused facilities. Aside this, pockets of development are also noticed along railway right-
of-ways, especially within urban areas. This has been attributed to increasing residential densities
and business activities near rail corridors. With the understanding that the minimum horizontal
distance between the center to the track and any structure should not be less than 5.33, 5.00 and
4.88 meters to a passenger platform for broad, metre and narrow gauge respectively, while for
goods platform, it should be 4.72, 3.18 and 3.05 meters in the same order (Gupta and Gupta,
2003). The layout plan of Ibadan railway station prescribes 300 feet set-back from the centre of
the track which of approximately 90 meters. This study therefore examines compliance with the
set-backs, especially along the rail corridors that falls within urban areas.

Infrastructure Management

There have been several management approaches to reform and upgrade Nigerian railways both
locally and internationally, prominent among such efforts are:

 A contractual agreement between Nigeria and Rail India Technical and Economic
Services (RITES), 1978 – 1982.
 The 1989 – 1992 Ogbemudia Revolution.
 The rehabilitation project with China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation
(CCECC), 1995 – 1999.

These efforts could not be sustained because it did not holistically address the railway problems,
rather the contracts were targeting in parts, the problems of Nigeria railway. The Nigeria railway
is government railways, Government built, owns, operates, manages funds and controls the
railways. This system of government takes all is considered an aberration in today’s globalized
economy as it does not engender efficiency and productivity (Ogunsanya, 2006).

However, the draft National Transport Policy (2010) has recommended concessioning approach
to transport infrastructure reform. The policy highlighted that concessionaire will upgrade and
expand infrastructure; maintain the rail infrastructure; operate both passenger and freight
transport; and perform other related rail services. While government on its part, will be
responsible for safety environment. It is surprisingly that the government railway concession
committee in 2004 has not been able to make public any report on the progress so far. It has
therefore became necessary that, the 1955 Act incorporating NRC as the only body allowed to
operate rail services in Nigeria most be repeal to give room for the concessionaire to invest in
rail infrastructure.

Concept of Public-Private Partnership

Public Private Partnership is not a new concept in infrastructural management. It has been in
practice since 530 A.D., with the concession laws governing public estate licences, and during
this time public facilities such as estate where concessioned out for management (Ogunsanya,
2006). This management arrangement of infrastructure can be trace to Europe, France and
Britain between 12th to 19th century, at certain point in time it was canceled to give away to state
owned companies, for instance in France, the railways, electricity supply, canals, telephone and
subways were nationalized.

Public private participation bounced back in the late 1960s and by the 1990s it had become a
major means of stimulating the European economy; hence, many countries are now involved in
public private partnership to develop their infrastructure. (Ogunsanya, 2006).

According to Mabogunje (1998), “there are few available avenues in most African countries for
raising sufficient revenue to fund urban infrastructure. They are, however, restricted by their
national government to a narrow range of revenue”. This has been the true state of railway
funding in Nigeria since 1898. Railways have been funded by only government. The government
has never encouraged ‘partnering’ whereby multinational corporations could participate and
invest in development of the rail transport system. However, a variety of options exist for
involving the private sector in the provision and management of the transport infrastructure.
Some of these include: Outright Privatization, Equity Participation, Concessioning – BOT, BOO,
BTO, BOOT, DBFO and DCMF, Outsourcing, Management Contract and Commercialization.

Intermodal Transportation Concept

Transportation is a system. It components parts are different and must relate together to provide
the needed movement required by people and goods, taking into consideration the comparative
advantages of each mode. This concept has been defined differently by different authors. It is
refers to the interaction between people, services, and different modes of transportation (Kandee,
2014). It is also described by Muller (1999) as “the concept of transporting passengers and
freight on two or more different modes in such a way that all parts of transportation process,
including the exchange of information, are efficiently connected and coordinated”.

The trend in the world today is towards developing intermodal transportation centers. Hopkinson
and Parkinson (1995) defined the intermodal transportation center as a structure combining
various technologies of transportation such as regional trains, light rails, bus line with centres
accessible to airports. Kandee (2014) noted that this station would have facilities for providing
various kinds of integrated services and with potentials to becoming a tourist centre. He gave
examples of both Europe and North America and in Asian country like Thailand. Intermodal
station is intended to handle efficiently large number of people and freight through the use of
new technologies and innovations in the methods and patterns of delivering rail transport
services (Tolliver, 1997).

Two other types of stations that has also been a product of intermodal concept are international
stations and airports stations, the international station emerged after the introduction of high
speed trains that connecting countries in the western European (Binney, 1995) while the airport
station are railway facilities that facilitate trains connection to the airport terminal, it is one
convenient way for passenger to access airports. (Kandee, 2014). Copenhagen airport station
located in Kastrup, Denmark is a good example of this station type.

METHODOLOGY AND STUDY AREA

Physical observation of railway track was conducted between Abeokuta station and Ibadan
enroutes Olokemeji in a schedule train journey on Tuesday 4th October 2016. These three stations
were picked from a total of ten (10) stations along Abeokuta-Ibadan railway corridor namely:
Abeokuta, Arikola, Sanusi, Opeji, Asipa, Olokemeji, Ogunshile, Ilugun, Omi-Adio and Dugbe in
Ibadan. Of these stations the three selected are currently functional. The areas where railway
encroachment is pronounced along the corridor observer observed and the extent and types of
encroachment on station map were also noted. Photographs were taken and measurement, where
possible and practicable. Maps of the station served as secondary sources of data, while 120
randomly selected respondents from three identified stations were administered with structured
questionnaire, in order to provide the primary data. Although the intensity of activities in Ibadan
and Abeokuta is more when compared to Olokomeji, forty questionnaires each were served at
each of the selected station to railway staff, passenger and squatter. Chi-square technique is used
for data analysis, and two hypotheses were tested, namely: there is no high level railway
infrastructural decadence and encroachment; and infrastructural decadence is not due to
mismanagement of facilities.

The three stations studied are:

i. Abeokuta railway station: it is one of the early stations established by the Colonia
administration along the Lagos (Iddo) – Ibadan (Dugbe) railway corridor. The station is
located at Lafenwa, close to a regional Lafenwa market and one of the major road
transport terminus in Abeokuta city. The station was one of the major stations that
handles passenger and freight traffic from Abeokuta and its environs.
ii. Dugbe railway station: this is the terminal end of the first phase of Lagos – Ibadan
railway construction in 1898. Before the extension to the north, Dugbe station is the hub
of cocoa traffic in the western region, its location is equally strategic providing a
transport hub for regional trade. Dugbe railway station still serves as district headquarters
of Nigeria railway, the station administratively oversees other stations within the district
which includes Abeokuta and Olokemeji stations.
iii. Olokemeji Station: it is a wayside station, with facility for water supply to locomotives
because of its proximity to Ogun River. It has facility for monitoring, signaling and
interchange of locomotive. Passenger and freight traffic is relatively low compared to
Abeokuta and Dugbe station.

DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

Background of Respondents

The demographic characteristics of the respondents are presented in table 1, 70% are male while
30% are female. Most of the respondents are youths of below the age of 40 years (59.2%), while
40.8% are above 40% years of age. Nigeria Railway workers constitute to 46% of the
respondents while passengers and squatters sum-up to 54%. The literacy level was high with
70% had tertiary education and 32% with secondary education, while 18% had primary
education and only 4% had no formal education. The respondents interaction with the railway
yards was measured in terms of their years in the premises; 44% of respondents had less than 5
years interaction, 27% had between 5 and 10 years, 29% had above 10 years.

From the above description of the demographic characteristics of the respondents, it was
revealed that the cross section of the respondents are largely adult, male, railways workers with
over ten years of interacting with railway infrastructure.

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Railway infrastructure is examined on two main grounds; first, the planning and second, the
management of the infrastructure. A number of research questions were asked to assess the
infrastructure on the two identified grounds with focus on issues of available facilities,
conditions of the facilities, spatial adequacy, capacity to handle future traffic, spatial relationship
and safety, maintenance of set-backs, railway land management, financing and revenue
generation. Two research hypotheses were set, which provide a guide to the study. Analysis of
the respondents’ rating of responses to the research questions under the two hypotheses is
provided in contingency table 2 and 4 while summary of chi-square result are presented in table
3 & 5.

Infrastructural Decadence and Encroachment on railway facilities

The rating of functionality of the existing infrastructure and its ability to handle future traffic
revealed that 64.2% did not agree while 30% agreed and 5.8% strongly agreed. It is evident that
the existing railway facilities is presently underutilized, as observed in earlier studies (Adesanya,
2002; Ogunsanya, 2006). Besides, since 1974, there has been a drop in both passengers and
freight traffic, which has become a vicious circle that the Nigeria railway is battling with. The
condition of 40% agreed that the infrastructural facilities are in good condition, while 60% did
not agree. The and intensity of use. However, it was observed that, out of ten stations between
Abeokuta and Ibadan Dugbe station, only three were functioning.

Ironically, 35%, 25% and 40% of the respondents strongly agreed, agreed and did not agree with
regular maintenances of the stations and track. This revealed that 60% of the survey were of the
view that maintenance of the railway infrastructure was regular. This is true of the only
functioning stations and tracks. However, the abandoned stations and branch line like Ifo – Idogo
are receiving little or no attention, in terms of maintenance.

Stations set-backs and rights of ways clearance are required for smooth and unobstructed
movement of train on track and at stations, 62.5% strongly agreed and agreed that set back are
encroached upon, while 37.5% did not agree that there is encroachment on the set-backs. The
encroachment could also be due to low traffic and development of urban spur towards railway
land. Although, the Building Plan Regulations in Ogun State recommends 30 meters set-back to
railway property. Poor monitoring by the Development Control Department and railway
authority could be responsible for the encroachments. However, an aggregate of 75.8% of the
respondents sanctioned all encroachments. The property corporation was actually established to
manage railway properties across the country. The Property Corporation of NRC gives our
railway property to squatters on a fee which is also regarded as part of their revenue. This
practices is obtainable all over the world, commercial shops, advertisement board, etc. around
stations are sources of revenue to railway authority.

The existing railway infrastructure capacity to adequately accommodate new technology and
safety in rated average with 44.2% strongly agreed and agreed while 55.8% did not agree. This
view is corroborated with 44.2% that strongly agreed and 28.3% that agreed to the re-designing
of the stations, in the light of economic and technological realities, while 27.5% did not agree to
the re-designing of the stations. This study corroborates others studies that have recommends
rebuilding of Nigeria railway track to standard gauge and the introduction of tramp ways
especially in mega city of Lagos and Abuja. Across the world, there are evidences of old stations
upgrading into intermodal transport centre with improved value for tourist attractions (Kandee,
2001).

Table 2: Infrastructural Decadence and Encroachment on railway facilities

Variables Ratings
Strongly Agreed Not agreed
agreed
The station/track is functioning to capacity 7 36 77
and it can handle the future traffic efficiently 5.8% 30% 64.2%
The railway track and stations along 12 36 72
Abeokuta – Ibadan corridor are in good 10% 30% 60%
condition
Periodic maintenance of station and track are 42 30 48
conducted regularly 5% 25% 40%
Set-backs to railway right-of-way and stations 39 36 45
are encroached on through Abeokuta-Ibadan 32.5% 30% 37.5%
railway corridor
All encroachment into railway land are 39 52 29
sanctioned by NRC technology with adequate 32.5% 43.3% 24.2%
 safety
The existing stations and track can 25 28 67
accommodate new railway technology with 20.8% 23.4% 55.8%
adequate safety
There is need for review and re-designing of 53 34 33
stations in the light of economic and 44.2% 28.3% 27.5%
technological realities
Authors field survey, 2016

Table 3 revealed lower tables value at 0.05 level of significance, hence the high level of
decadence and encroachment. This finding is in tandem with earlier study of Ogunsanya (2006)
which acknowledged that there is a systemic decay of the corporations’ entire infrastructure,
manpower and institutions in the last three of four decades.

Table 3: Summary of Chi-square Analysis on Infrastructural Decadence and

Encroachment on railway facilities

Calculated Degree of freedom Significance Table value remark

value level
164.4 6 0.05 12.592 Not significance
Authors field survey, 2016

Mismanagement of Railway Transport Infrastructure

Transportation is very dynamic and it requires upgrading and development of it infrastructure to

keep in tune with the changes in demands for transport services. In the past twenty years 3.3%
strongly agreed and 10% agreed to have seen development in railway infrastructure, while 86.7%
did not agree to have seen any development in railway infrastructure. There has been long years
of neglect of railway infrastructure until recently when the Abuja – Kano standard gauge was
completed. Little were the developments especially in the south-western part of the country.

As a reflection of the neglect which the railway system has suffered in the country, the study
revealed that 30.8% of the respondents agreed that railway received adequate budgetary
allocation in the past twenty years, while 69.2% di not agreed to this assertion. This position that
there is not adequate funding for railway system is also reflected as the government placed the
replacement value of Nigeria roads network in 2001 to be between N350 billion and N430
billion, while only paltry sum of N9.5 billion, N70 billion have been invested in Nigeria railway
in recent years (FGN, 2010).

The two major successful programme of development were the Rail India Technical and
Economic Services (RITES) intervention and the bilateral pact with Civil Engineering and
Construction Corporation (CCECC), this two major international intervention programme target
at revitalization of Nigeria railway between 1978 – 1982 and 1995 – 1999 respectively. Rating
the management of this contractual agreement in terms of following due process in the execution
of the contract, 31.7% strongly agreed, 25.8% agreed, while 42.5% disagreed that due process
was followed. By implication this intervention programme were not diligently pursued and
sustained. Further to this 50% agreed while 50% disagreed to whether this two international
interventions yielded and positive infrastructural development in the Nigeria railway.

While the rail system is running skeletal services most of its facilities are managed by the
Property Corporation, warehouse, commercial shops and landed properties, they leased the
properties out with the intention of generating revenue to the corporation. 44.2% disagreed that
the corporation is efficiently managing the properties while 17.5% strongly agreed, 38.3%
agreed. By implication 55.8% agreed that the properties are efficiently managed, however much
has not been seen in the reinvestment of fund generated from the properties which of course
point to the roles of work management and the entire institutional arrangement which in-turn
worsen the operational performance of the rail system (Kadiri, 1997).

Ogunsanya (2006), defined public-private-partnership as the intervention of the private sector by

creating pathways through which private funds can flow into public works and services through a
contractual arrangement. This study assessed public-private-partnership as a viable approach at
resuscitating Nigeria railway. The survey revealed that 60.8% strongly agreed and 27.5% of the
respondents agreed to concessioning and privatization of railway infrastructural development,
while 11.7% do not agreed. This finding is in line with global best practice, according to the
world bank public-private-partnership currently finances 15% of world’s infrastructure
investment, with the volume of investment doubling between 1993 to 1995 from 17 – 37 billion
dollars. (UN, 2000).

Table 4: View about the Mismanagement of railway transport infrastructure

 Variables Ratings
Strongly Agreed Not agreed
agreed
There is regular railway infrastructural 4 12 104
development in the past 20 years 3.3% 10% 86.7%
Railway infrastructural development received 23 14 83
adequate budgetary allocations the past 10 19.1% 11.7% 69.2%
years
Implementation of successful development 38 31 51
programme follows due process 31.7% 25.8% 42.5%
The RITE and CCEC intervention yielded 24 36 60
positive developmental result 20% 30% 50%
NRC Property Corporation is efficiently 21 46 53
managing railway land and landed properties 17.5% 38.3% 44.2%
Concessioning and privatization of railway 73 33 14
infrastructural development will resuscitate 60.8% 27.5% 11.7%
NRC
Authors field survey, 2016

Table 5 revealed the calculated value is higher than the table value at 0.05 significant level, thus
there is mismanagement of railway infrastructural. At what level is subject to further research.
However, this conclusion is in agreement with earlier studies (Adesanya, 2002; Ogunsanya,
2006; Odeleye, 2000; MRP, 1988; Nnamdi, 2002) which acknowledged the problems of Nigeria
railways as including long years of neglect, hindrance created by the railway act 1955 and
mismanagement arising from incompetence of the successors of the British administrators of the
Corporation.

Table 5: Summary of Chi-square analysis of the views about the Mismanagement of

railway transport infrastructure

Calculated Degree of freedom Significance Table value remark

value level
180/4 5 0.05 11.070 Not significance
Authors field survey, 2016
Strategies for Planning and Management of Railway Transport Infrastructure

Findings from this study indicate that railway infrastructure is going through vicious circle of
decadence and encroachment by squatters because a good numbers of the stations and lines are
not functioning and/or obtained. In getting out of the vicious circle it is suggested that public
private participation approach is given a chance in the management and planning of the Nigerian
railway, to provide the needed financial and expertise for the revitalization of the whole system.

It is also suggested that for this revitalization approach to be effective there is need for a review
of the legal frame work that established the Nigeria Railway as well as a speedy passage and
adoption of the long overdue National Transport Policy. These two documents; (Railway Act of
1955 and the National Transport Policy of 2010) will provide legal basis for the adoption and
implementation of the proposed Public-Private participation in railway infrastructure
development.

Railway been one of the oldest Nigeria corporations with lots of monumental infrastructure that
are now rotting away because of low patronage of the railway system, especially the stations on
those line that are not functional. They can be redeveloped and turned to places of tourist
attractions. There are evidences of such old buildings around the world that are now point of
tourist attraction.

Because of the locational advantage, some of the old stations enjoy being transport hubs or major
cities. The stations can be redeveloped as intermodal transport center with lots of ancillary
facilities that will attract commercial patronage. A good example of these stations are the
Abeokuta station and Dugbe station in Ibadan.

The Nigeria Railway Property Corporation needs to be recapitalized to be able to effectively

monitor and manage railway infrastructure. However, with the public sector participation,
investment in railway infrastructure will be generated, and efficiently managed.

Conclusion

Railway transport infrastructure has suffered a long years of neglect to the fact that facilities built
by the Colonial administration were still in use after over 100 years, without renewal and
upgrading to the standard gauge. Naturally these infrastructure facilities must have depreciated
faster because of lack of appropriate maintenance, poor funding, low patronage, poor
management and the hindrance created by the establishing act. However hope is not lost because
railway transport is central to economic development of the nation and its use all over the world
attest to its potential to nation’s socio-economic development. It is in the light of this, private
sector participation is advocated with the strategy of injection private sector funds, management
expertise and prudence in management into revitalizing the old and decaying transportation
infrastructures
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