Lessons of Nigeria’s coastal rail

Few things advertise the chaos of Nigeria’s current administration than the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail, a vital infrastructure that would link all seaports from Lagos to near the Cameroon border.

In November 2014, the government of President Goodluck Jonathan signed the 10-state, 22-station, 1,402km project with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Its $11.97 billion cost provoked big headlines all over the world, but it was not difficult to see how it would provide a boost to the national, and indeed the regional African, economy.