Using specific examples, discuss rail transportation in African countries under the following headings (a) Reasons...

Explanation

(a) Reasons for construction of rail transportation in African countries include:

(i) To open up land, good for major crop production e.g Jos, Maiduguri

(ii) To tap resources in Agriculture, mineral, and forest, e.g rail network in Enugu, Jos, Ibadan

(iii) To link important cities and facilitate movement of people e.g Abidjan-Ouagadougou

(iv) To link different regions thus promoting inter-regional trade e.g North and South of Nigeria

(b) Problems of rail transportation include:

(i) Slow speed

(ii) Poor time schedule

(iii) High cost of spare parts and inadequate capital

(iv) Poor management

(iv) Poor standard of coaches

(c) Solutions:

(i) Need for wider gauge and faster coaches

(ii) Improved management

(iii) Construction of double tracks

(iv) Provision of loans