Another one on Africa: Nigeria's big idea for the trains: call in Virgin
Antonio Teixeira
London
Mail and Guardian
03 December 2002
It is riven by corruption and organised crime, and cannot host a
beauty contest without religious riots but Nigeria has a masterplan to
make the trains run on time: Virgin Rail.
Apparently deaf to the lamentations of stranded British commuters,
President Olusegun Obasanjo has invited Sir Richard Branson to help
run the state-owned Nigerian Railways Corporation.
So successfully had Virgin transformed British Rail, the president
suggested, that it would be splendid if the company could repeat its
magic in Africa's most populous country.
"I told Branson to come to Nigeria and see how he can help the
Nigerian railway and he said 'Let me finish what I am doing in the
British railway and see what we can do for Nigeria,' " Obasanjo told
reporters in the financial capital, Lagos.
A Virgin representative aid yesterday that Sir Richard had not spoken
directly to Obasanjo about the offer and that no formal invitation had
been made by the government. He added that the president appeared to
have quoted Sir Richard accurately and the company was considering the
invitation.
For many British commuters Virgin has been the butt of bitter jokes
about late trains, overcrowded trains and no trains but Nigeria hopes
to profit from its experience of upgrading a creaking state behemoth.
Nigerian railways are in even worse shape than Britain's. The
century-old corporation's debts are so huge it cannot afford to pay
all its 15 000 employees and 25 000 pensioners.
Despite political instability, Sir Richard believes there is money to
be made in the former British colony. Virgin Atlantic last week
launched its fourth African route, to Port Harcourt in Nigeria. -
Guardian Unlimited (c) Guardian Newspapers Limited 2001
Arthur Figgis
teix...@hotmail.com (Antonio Teixeira) wrote:
>Apparently deaf to the lamentations of stranded British commuters,
>President Olusegun Obasanjo has invited Sir Richard Branson to help
>run the state-owned Nigerian Railways Corporation.
That's funny. I have also just had an offer of a business opportunity
in Nigeria. Apparently it involves EIGTHEEN MILLION DOLLARS, in SAFE
AND SECURE TRANSACTIONS. :-)
--
Arthur Figgis
Graeme Wall
You`ve been short-changed, I was offered 23 million dollars...
--
Graeme Wall
Transport Miscellany at <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/index.html>
Ulf Kutzner
Although https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Nigeria
says the Eastern Line shall be upgraded without gauge change, I found
Standard Gauge mentioned here: https://www.lok-report.de/news/uebersee/item/25054-nigeria-vertrag-zum-normalspurigen-wiederaufbau-der-ostbahn-unterzeichnet.html
Regards, ULF