The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday disclosed that the smartest economic decision made by British colonialists in Nigeria was the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan and the Baro-Kano rail in 1912.
Speaking at the opening of the joint Lagos–Kano Economic Investment Summit in Lagos, he stated that both cities existed as important regional centres of trade and commerce long before the existence of Nigeria, and that Lagos and Kano would continue gaining clout and influence.
Osinbajo said, “Any student of colonial history will confirm that perhaps the smartest economic decision made by the British was the Lagos-Kano rail, an amalgamation of the Lagos-Ibadan and the Baro-Kano rail in 1912.
“This sparked off the creation of other rail routes across the country, such that by 1930, there was a unified rail system in four districts. Following the Lago-Kano plot, the rail routes were to move goods and commerce from the Nigerian hinterland to the coast for export.
“So, the Western district tapped agricultural produce such as cocoa for export. The Northern district focused on the traffic of groundnuts and cotton, while the North-eastern with headquarters in Bauchi and Eastern district with headquarters in Enugu, developed the coal region and evacuation of oil palm and palm produce.”
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