As we review our constitution, we might have to force the issue of railways by laying down some statutory laws

Ayo Akinfe

[1] By law, the federal government is mandated to build six high-speed railway lines on which trains will runs at speeds of 250km per hour. This project must be completed no later than 2030

[2] Routes which the high speed lines will ply include: Lagos-Abuja; Lagos-Onitsha; Abuja-Onitsha; Lagos-Kano; Kano-Onitsha and Kano-Abuja

[3] All other trains will run at speeds no less than 100 Km per hour

[4] For long distance inter-state trains, the average speed will be at least 150km per hour

[5] Private operators will be obliged to provide at least one train every hour

[6] Cattle grazing reserves in the country will all be provided with freight rail links to ports and urban markets like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, Benin, etc

[7] Commercial hubs like the Onitsha market, Tinapa Resort, Obudu Cattle Ranch, etc will be allowed to build dedicated lines connecting them with the port at Apapa

[8] Every state capital must have at least a light railway urban network

[9] At least six manufacturing facilities will be established across the country, with one in each geo-political zone. They will produce carriages, locomotives, railway sleepers, signalling equipment, etc

[10] The federal government will take out a 20% stake in each network. As such, all government officials must make at least 50% of their journeys within Nigeria by rail.