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RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA IN KWARA STATE, 1907 - 2008
BY
ABDULSALAMI, MUYIDEEN DEJIBSU/HIS/PhD/12/1680
Postgraduate School,Benue State University,
Makurdi-Nigeria
June, 2017
1
TITLE PAGE
RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA IN KWARA STATE, 1907 - 2008
BY
ABDULSALAMI, MUYIDEEN DEJIBSU/HIS/PhD/12/1680
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL, BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY
June 2017
i
DECLARATION
I, Mr. Abdulsalami, Muyideen Deji, hereby declare that this thesis is solely my research effort which has been supervised by Professor Mike Odugbo Odey and Dr. Emmanuel Chiahemba Ayangaor. It is a record of my own original research. This work has not been presented to any institution for award of any degree and all quotations and references have been duly acknowledged.
----------------------------------- Abdulsalami, Muyideen Deji
-----------------------------------
ii
CERTIFICATION
We certify that this thesis titled: “Railway Transport and the Development of Offa Area in Kwara State, 1907 – 2008” has been duly presented by Abdulsalami, Muyideen Deji (BSU/HIS/PhD/12/1680) of Department of History, Faculty of Arts, Benue State University, Makurdi and has been approved by the Examiners.
1st Supervisor
Professor Mike Odugbo Odey Professor John Ebute Agaba Head of Department
Sign: ……………………….. Signature: ……………………… Date: ………………………….. Date: ………………………………
2nd SupervisorDr. Emmanuel Chiahemba Ayangaor
Sign: …………………………..
Date: …………………………..
...........................................................Professor Toryina Ayat Varvar
Dean, Postgraduate School
………………………Date
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is important to acknowledge the mercy and favour of the ALMIGHY GOD, the providence
that perfected this study. For every journey, there must be a story. In the case of my journey on
this laudable project, it was bad, ugly and good. At the beginning, it was a sad experience from a
dearest partner, Teslimat Adeola. However, the Almighty God gave me His grace to navigate
through the ugly and bad moment. Thank you God for your uncommon favour in my life.
More importantly, I must acknowledge my able supervisors behind the study Professor Mike
Odugbo Odey and Dr. Emmanuel. Chiahemba Ayangaor for given me adequate time each time I
dumped the debris of my work on them. They always provided a place in their hearts to give me
listening hears in order to achieve the best from me. They did not see me as a problem for one
day, even though, I knew that my approach to them usually created serious disturbance each time
we met to discuss physically. I do not possess the financial capacity and no influence to pay them
back in my life. However, the everlasting GOD, Omnipotent is the only one that could reward
both of them and their generation yet unborn.
I must remember Professor Saawua Gabriel. Nyityo, the person who prepared the journey for the
pursuit of my Ph.D. His work on me started from the time I was a student at Lagos State
University, Ojo. The advice and role he played during my master’s programme contributed
immensely to my success. His advice at the beginning when I was looking for admission spur me
to move fast to secure my Ph.D. admission in Benue State University (BSU). I thank you sir.
More importantly, Professor Toryina Ayat Varvar played a fatherly role when I involved in a
motor accident along Gboko-Markudi road while coming to register for my Ph.D. programme. I
cannot quantify his assistance that day. Also, I acknowledge the contribution of Professor Okpeh
O. Okpeh a seasoned lecturer worthy of emulation for his contributions during my course work.
iv
At this junction, I want to particular acknowledge Professor John Ebute Agaba for his wonderful
spiritual advice the first time we met. His word of encouragement remained the only radiator for
the engine that sailed me through the programme. May GOD ALMIGHTY shower His
uncommon blessing and favour on him and his family. My sincere appreciation also goes to Dr.
Sylvester I. Ugbegili. His gentle manner of approach to me proffered solution to each problem
encountered during the programme.
I acknowledge Professor Amstrong Matiu Adejo for his valuable contributions during my course
work. His eloquent and elocution during the class work add colour to my thinking in diplomatic
history. Other lecturers in the Department of History Professor Silas I. Okita, Dr. Chris Orngu,
Dr. Victor Iyanya, Dr. Terwase Dzeka and Dr. Patrick I. Ukase are equally recognised and
acknowledged for their contributions to the success of this programme.
I am also indebted to Mr. Akinwale O. Amodu (my childhood friend), Dr. Biodun Shodeinde, the
then Director of Technology Centre, Lagos State University. Also, I pray for my great father in
academic, Late Professor Gabriel Ogundeji Ogunremi, the then Head of Department, History and
International Studies, Lagos State University, for his keen interest in my life. May his soul rest in
perfect peace. Amen
It is imperative to recognise the game changer on my work, Dr. Akombo Elijah Ityavkasa. His
touch gave a new look to my academic career. As a mentor worthy of emulation, he dedicated
his valuable time to read my work on several occasions at pro bono. Also, the advice offered to
me on the structure of the study was a panacea to difficulties I had at initial stage of my study.
These are things that are so difficult to quantify in my life. May GOD ALMIGHTY reward him
on earth and hereafter.
There is a popular saying that behind every successful man there must be a woman. Of course,
Cecilia Jumai Alisu is the one. Her meticulous thinking about my success is second to none.
Right from the day we joined on 11th June, 2010, the story of my life changed positively. Her
v
financial contribution on the 12th December, 2014, was a success story of this study. She and her
uncommon love with great support for me remained evergreen in my memory. May GOD
ALMIGHTY reward her with everlasting inner joy that would translate to peace for the rest of
her life on earth.
I acknowledge Professor Yakubu Haruna Aliyara for his support right from the day we met in
2009. He gave me life and courage to be counted among scholars. May Allah (SWA) accept your
Ibadat. His support has opened a new page of history in my life. Also, Alhaji Abdulsalam
Muktair Ayinde for his spiritual and fatherly advice may ALLAH rewards you on earth and
hereafter. Also, the valuable contribution of Mr. Mukaila Abiodun Kadir is equally appreciated.
There are others that contributed in one way or the other to the successful completion of this
programme. These are Professor Talla Sunday Ngarka, Inalegwu Stephany Akipu, Ogunseyi
Olasende Israel, Faisa Muktar, Alaba Babatunde Israel, Kafayat Mohammed, Kola Idris, Michael
Lazarus Ikyochir, Abba Danladi, Olukemi Adeniyi in Offa Local Government, Haruna Husaini
Shumo, his style of calling me “Doctor” spurred me to work hard to achieve success in my Ph.D.
work. More importantly, Mr. Vonyiri Michael at Kaduna Archive and Amosu Olukayode who
facilitated my movement to Ibadan archive. Also, I remember my father-in-law, Late Dr.
Ajeigbe, Musemilu Oyebanji for his fatherly advice on this programme. May Allah (SWA)
reward him accordingly with Alajanat Firidaus. Amen. I acknowledge the effort of my Aunt,
Late Mrs. Tawakalitu Desoye, for her quality advice after my secondary school.
I must recognise all my classmates, particularly Diongoli Sunday Ebitikin, for his brotherly care
when we started this programme. May God Almighty reward him accordingly. Others are Kume
Aondo, Atando Dauda Agbu, Akor Faith, Larry Steve, Dickson Ijiba Ogbaji, Gabu A. Ali,
Longmam Geofrey, Agbo Mathew Oga, Eev Terlumun Joseph, James Nyitse and late Herbert
Sule Alu. For Late Herbert Sule Alu, I salute his courage by facing the struggle head long in the
face of serious health challenge. However, the wish of Almighty God prevailed at last, may his
soul rest in perfect peace. Amen
vi
Lastly, my sincere appreciation also goes to my children Awa’al Oluwatobi and Thani Olamide
for the love and understanding shown throughout the period I was collating materials for this
study. The effort of my father, Mr. Sheu Tijani Amao, helped me a lot in gathering oral
interview. He used his connection as an elderly man to show me the right people who gave me
cogent information that added value to this thesis. Baba, you have lived a fulfill life for given me
opportunity to go to school. May God Almighty grant you Aljanat Firdaus. I wish you
everlasting rest in the hand of God for your commitment and dedication to elevate the suffering
of the common people while on earth. I recognise and appreciate my late mother, Mama Ife, for
her contribution to my success during her life time. I love you so much but Allah loves you most.
May Allah (SWA) grant her Alijanat Firdaus. Amen.
vii
DEDICATION
To ALMIGHTY GOD the creator of heaven and earth for HIS uncommon love to me
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i
Declaration- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv
Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - viii
Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ix
List of Maps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - - xiii
List of Tables- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xiv
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xv
List of Abbreviations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xvi
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -1
1.2 Statement of the Problem- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- -5
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7
1.4 Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8
1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --9
ix
1.6 Research Methodology- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -10
1.7 Conclusion - - - --- - -- - --- --- - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -12
Endnotes-- - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -14
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
2.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - 16
2.2 The Significance of the Railways in Africa- - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -16
2.3 Railway Transport and Agricultural Development in Nigeria - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - -27
2.4 Literature Review on Offa Economy and Society- -- - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
2.5 Conceptual Perspectives and Theoretical Framework- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - 53
2.6 Conclusion- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -65
Endnotes- - -- -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 68
CAHAPTER THREE
GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF OFFA BEFORE THE
ADVENT OF THE RAILWAY TRANSPORT IN 1907
3.1 Introduction- - ---- - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - --- - - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 76
3.2 The Geographical Location of Offa in Kwara State- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -77
3.3 A Brief Historical Background of Offa from 1350 to 1907---- - - - - -- - -- - - - - - -- - - - -80
3.4 The Economy of Offa People up to 1907-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 84
x
3.5 Conclusion- - - - - --- --- - - -- - - -- - - - -- - - -- - - - - -- - - - - --- - - -- - - - - - - - - - -89
Endnotes- - - -- - - -- -- - - -- - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --91
CHAPTER FOUR
EXTENSION OF THE RAIL LINE FROM LAGOS TO OFFA AND ITS ENVIRONS
SINCE 1907
4.1 Introduction- - - - - --- - - -- - -- -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - -94
4.2 Origin and Development of Railway Transport in Nigeria up to 1907- - - - - - - - - - - -- - -95
4.3 Colonial Government Notice and Land Acquisitions in Offa for the Construction of Railway
Projects - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -98
4.4 The Construction and Development of Railway System in Offa and Its Environs Since 1907 -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - -- - -- - 101
4.5 The Administration of Railway Transport and its Significance to Offa People, 1907 - 2008- -
- - - - - - - -- --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 107
4.6 The Golden Era of the Nigerian Railway Transport in Offa, 1944 – 1965 - - - - - - - - - -114
4.7 Conclusion------- - - --- - - - -- - - - - -- -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -117
End Notes- - - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - -118
xi
CHAPTER FIVE
RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA FROM 1907 –
2008
5.1 Introduction- - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- 123
5.2 The Establishment of Railway Transport and the Development of Offa and its Environs from
1907 -2008- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - -- - - -- - - - - - - - - -- 124
5.3 Social Impact of Railway Transport on Offa People- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -127
5.4 Economic Impact of Railway Transport in Offa and its Environs- - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - -144
5.5 Conclusion- - - -- - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -156
Endnotes- - - - -- -- - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - -- - - - -- - - -- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 158
CHAPTER SIX
THE COLLAPSE OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND ITS EFFECTS ON OFFA
PEOPLE, 1965 - 2008
6.1 Introduction- - - --- - - - - - -- - - -- - - -- -- - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -165
6.2 The General Collapse of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 1965 -1982 - - - - - - - - - - - -167
6.3 The Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa, 1982 – 1999- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -172
6.4 Effects of the Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -176
6.5 Attempted Resuscitation of the Railway Transport in Nigeria, 1999 -2008- - - - - - - - - - -186
6.6 Lessons from other Countries to Revive the Nigerian Railway Systems- - - - - - - - - - - - -194
6.7 Conclusion- -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -200
xii
Endnotes- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - -- - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -202
CHAPTER SEVEN
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE
7.1 Summary - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- -- - - - - -- - - - - - - 209
7.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 214
7.3 Contribution to knowledge- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 220
Bibliography-- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - -222
Appendix
Glossary
xiii
LIST OF MAPS
Map 1: Nigeria's Railway Transportation Network (1898-1955) xviii
Map 2: The area under the Control of Offa Railway Station from Origo in Osun State to Mokwa
in Niger State xix
Map 3: Map of Offa in Kwara State 79
Map 4: The area covered by the railway station in Offa 125
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: The Staff Strength of the Station in Offa up to 2008 112
Table 2: Traffic on Nigeria Railways, 1959 – 1982 115
Table 3: Staff Strength of the Companies Available in Offa during the Booming Period of
Railway Transport 152
Table 4: The Analysis of Railway Contribution to GDP 177
Table 5: The Population Census in Offa from 1991 to 2006 185
xiv
ABSTRACTThe study analyses the extension of railway transport to Offa when the construction of rail lines started in Lagos in 1896. Shortly after the construction of rail lines in Lagos and subsequent opening of railway transport for commercial purposes in 1898, the British colonial authority under the auspices of Gilbert Carter felt that the need was very important to extend the services of railway transport to other places outside the colony of Lagos. This prompted the extension of rail line to Ibadan in 1901, thence, Offa through Oshogb in 1907. The passing of rail through Offa brought changes to Offa and its environs. The development led to the introduction of Christianity, Western education and gave impetus to the propagation of Islam. This gave opportunity to many indigenes to have interaction with people beyond the shore of Offa. The few educated people and many other Offa indigenes including members of the adjourning communities, secured employment with the railway transport authority. Subsequently, the population of the study area increased, new market emerged around railway station, which became the hub of business activities for people from far and near. Generally, the extension of railway transport to Offa boosted agricultural and industrial activities. Many indigenes had opportunity to learn new metal and wood technologies from the different workshops established in the station by the railway authority. The eventual emergence of small and medium industries created huge employment opportunities for the people. However, the sudden decline of the railway transport created serious socio-economic crisis in the area. Among other major negative effects was the movement of people to other areas in search of greener pasture. The main trust of this study is anchored on three main areas bothered on the extension of railway system and the effects of the extension of the railway transport to Offa and her environs, the effects of the decline of the railway transport and possible recommendations to resuscitate the entire sector. The methodology adopted in this study is multidisciplinary. The major sources used are primary and secondary. Both sources have been critically assessed before use.
xv
LIST OF ABBREVATIONS
ACO - Adesoye College Offa
AUDCO - Ansar Udeen College Offa
BMPIU - Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit
BOT - Build Operate Transfer
BPE - Bureau of Public Enterprises
BKRL - Baro-Kano Railway Line
BO - Booking Office
CCECC - China Civil Engineering Construction Company
CFAO- Compagnie Francaise de l’Afrique Occidentale
CHO - Central Hotel Offa
FGN - Federal Government of Nigeria
FPO - Federal Polytechnics Offa
ICD - Inland Container Deports
IGSO - Iyeru-Okin Grammar School Offa
LGR - Lagos Government Railway
LHO - Liberty Hotel Offa
LCLO - Labande Cereals Limited Offa
xvi
LW - Luggage Weighing
MGHSO - Moremi Girls High School Offa
MMIA - Muritala Mohammed International Airport
MLSI - Ministry of Land and Survey Ilorin
NBIO - Noble Breweries Ijagbo/Offa
NCP - National Council of Privatization
NIAF - Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility
NRC - Nigerian Railway Corporation
OBO - Okin Biscuits Offa
OCCO - Olalomi Comprehensive College Offa
OLGA- Offa Local Government Area
OFO - Okin Foam Offa
NOWPSO Naval Officers’ Wife Primary School Offa
OGS - Offa Grammar School
OCSS - Offa Community Secondary School
ODU - Offa Descendants’ Union
OMO - Owode Market Offa
xvii
OHSO - Okin High School Offa
ORC - Offa Railway Club
PCCO - Principal Civil Engineering Office
PO - Parcel Office
PPP - Public Private Partnership
P & T - Postal and Communication
PZ - Paterson Zochonis
RNC - Royal Niger Company
RITES - Rail India Technical and Economic Services
SAR - South African Railway
SCO - Signal and Communication Office
SATS - South African Transport Services
SSCTAC - Senior Staff of Communication Transport and Corporation
SHTO - School of Health Technology Offa
UNILEVER- Lever Brothers (Margarine Unie & Lord Leverhulme)
YNLO - Yammfy Nigerian Limited Offa
QHO - Queens Hotel Offa
xviii
LIST OF MAPS
Nigeria's Railway Transportation Network (1898-1955)
Source: Nigerian Railway Corporation, Iddo, Lagos
The map shows the location of Offa on the map of Nigeria before independence and the area covered by the railway transport during the colonial period.
xix
This map analyzes the area under the Control of Offa Railway Station from Origo in Osun State to Mokwa in Niger State.
Source: Design by the researcher to show the study area and the area under the control of Offa District Office.
The map shows the area under the control of Offa District Office from Origo, Osun State to Mokwa, Niger Kwara State. Also the map analyzes the areas where the construction of rail lines have reached from 1955 – 2008.
xx
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Ever since the invention of railway transport in the 19th century, the movement of human beings
and goods have been greatly facilitated. Transport enables society to enjoy the advantages of
specialisation of resources, and the benefits of division of labour by making it possible for
products to be brought from great distances1, thus avoiding the necessity for local production of
needs.
The advent of the railway system made globalisation of human development possible. The
Industrial Revolution could have been hampered if the railway transport system in general was
not made available at the time to convey both the required raw materials and the very bulky
industrial products. Remarkably, railway transport was a potent weapon for the diversion of trade
to particular ports in the interest of the colonial powers. This accounted for the great patronage
the colonial regime gave to railway transport in order to promote trade in the colonies. The
number of the early railway projects came from British government officials and merchants who
were anxious to use the means of transportation for extending British political and administrative
control into the interior of Nigeria.
In the light of the foregoing, the colonial governments, rather than private promoters, constructed
and managed the railways. Consequently, the colonial government approved a standard railway
gauge of 3 feet 6 inches for Nigeria, the Gold Coast (Ghana) and the Gambia, while a narrow
gauge of 2 feet 6 inches was approved for the Sierra Leone railways, given the poor finances of
that colony2.
1
The construction of the railway system in Nigeria by the British government was for two main
reasons, namely: commerce and administration. For commercial purpose, it created opportunity
to penetrate the hinterlands for evacuation of raw materials and easy exchange of finished
products from European countries. In terms of administration, railway transport empowered the
colonial government and its agents to move freely to the administrative units in the hinterland
The passage of Colonial Loans Bill on 27th July, 1899, in the United Kingdom, gave power to
the colonial governments to incur public debt similar to the Local Loans Fund to finance the
railway projects in West Africa, particularly for harbour work in Old Calabar and for railway
work in Lagos3. However, the benefits transcended the British expectation after the initial
construction. It opened up large number of towns and villages in British colonies, which Offa (a
Nigerian town) also later benefited from immensely.
Although the official account of the Nigerian Railway began in March 1896 from Lagos,
thereafter, the extension reached Ibadan in 1901 when the Iddo-Ibadan line was opened to the
public. Railway transport soon became an invaluable tool for opening up new regions to British
commerce and for promoting the development of agriculture and mineral resources in Africa.
The railway, indeed, became the bedrock of immense development in Offa. When Lagos and
Ibadan became railway termini to service the staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)
and travellers, they also served as major collection centres of cash crops and valuable mineral
resources for onward exportation to Europe. Then, Offa railway terminus was providing a similar
service, which was almost at par with other termini in the Western region of Nigeria. In fact,
Offa enjoyed some advantages such as building of railway quarters equivalent to that of Ibadan,
accommodating districts officers and directing the affairs of Oshogbo and Ilorin railway stations.
2
The design of Offa station by the colonial government made the area to gain control over railway
transport from Origo, in Osun State of Nigeria, to Mokwa in Niger State. Comparatively,
Oshogbo and Ilorin came under the administrative control of Offa railway terminus. The
development of the railway transport in Offa and her environs changed the fortunes of the
neigbouring towns and villages that served as gateways to the Northern part of Nigeria.
At the peak period (1901 -1960) of the construction of the Nigerian raillines, the British
government had 5,200 miles of railways in British and French West African colonies. These
colonies were Nigeria, Gambia, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. The two
central lines then were from Lome to Atakpame, which were extended by the French to Blita in
1934 and the Lome –Anecho - Lome –Palime lines. Generally, Nigeria had 3,505 kilometres of
a narrow gauge (1,067) track, 30 kms in double track, while the rest was in single track4. The
construction of these lines laid a solid foundation for the railway transport as an alternative
means of transportation into the interior parts of Nigeria for economic gains.
In view of this, the rail line got to Offa in 1907 through Oshogbo. By 1911, railway transport
was extended to Bauchi because of availability of cash crops in the area. Similarly, Udi, near
Enugu, which had large deposits of coal, attracted British government to the area in 1915. In a
similar vein, the availability of tin in Jos led to the extension of railway transport to Jos in 1915.
The emergence of these rail lines in central Nigeria made Offa to become a collection centre for
cash crops available within the central region. In addition, Christian missionaries took advantage
of the rail network to build schools and churches in the area. It also aided the propagation of
Islam, which had been in existence before the extension of railway transport.
3
Therefore, Christianity, which served as a vehicle for Western education reached Offa in 1907.
The Offa people tapped from Western education, particularly English language, which soon
became a medium of communication as an important tool for negotiation in international trade in
cash crops between the European nations and African nations such as Ghana trade in Ikode (red
parrot feather) with the study area (Offa). Apart from this, the warm acceptance of western
education by the Offa people gave them the opportunity to take the lead in western education
among the ethnic groups in present Kwara State.
Shortly after the establishment of the Lagos Railway in 1896, the major development in the
railway sector was the construction of the Baro-Kano extension to Northern Nigeria, which was
completed in 1911. The two lines were connected by the Jebba bridge in 1912. This was an event
that laid the foundation for the amalgamation of Nigeria into a single administrative entity in
1914.
The Act of Parliament of 1955 in Nigeria transformed the Nigerian railway from a department of
British colonial government to what later became known as the Nigerian Railway Corporation
(NRC). This gave the coporation a constitutional backing to construct and operate rail services in
Nigeria. After Nigerian independence in 1960, the control of the railway system in the country
became the business of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) which was saddled with the
responsibilities of constructing new lines and maintenance of the existing lines5.
The collapse of the railway transport due to long time neglect by successive governments after
independence greatly affected economic activities and development in Offa and its environs.
Thus, this study sets to analyse the introduction and extension of the railway transport in Nigeria,
including its extension to Offa from 1907 to 2008 and its impact on the development of the area.
4
The study equally explains the factors that led to the eventual collapse of the railway system in
the country and the consequences of the collapse of the railway system on Nigeria’s economy
especially on the study area. The attention is drawn to Offa as a result of the eventual extension
of the railway from Lagos to Offa and its subsequent development as a suitable terminus for
commerce and administrative convenience by the British colonial government.
In the light of the foregoing, a study of railway transport and the development of Offa, and
Nigeria at large, is very critical for economic diversification against the monolithic economy in
the country. One of the major obstacles to diversification of the economy in Nigeria is access to
rural areas. The opportunity created for the rural areas during the boom of the railway transport
in Nigeria had been eroded as a result of long-term neglect of the sector. Unfortunately, all
efforts made by successive governments to return the glory of the railway transport have proved
abortive.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Generally, the introduction of the railway transport in Nigeria ushered in remarkable changes in
the transport system across the country. Apart from bringing about development in the areas it
covered, it facilitated the movement of goods and services both in internal and external trades. It
equally enhanced social interaction not only in Offa, but in all the areas the railway system
covered6. Thus, the importance of railway system to Offa people cannot be over emphasised.
However, as important as the railway transport was to the socio-economic development of Offa
and Nigeria at large, there is no systemic historical reconstruction of the development. The
present study is an attempt to close that gap in the economic history of the area during the period
of study.
5
By 1982, there was the sudden collapse of the railway system in Offa and Nigeria at large with
adverse socio-economic consequences. It is against this background that this study attempts to
investigate not only the factors responsible for the collapse of the railway transport in Nigeria,
but also the socio-economic consequences of the development on Nigeria in general and Offa in
particular. The study period stretches between 1907 and 2008.
To effectively examine and address the role of railway transport in the development of Offa, the
following questions are raised to guide us:
1. When and under what historical circumstances was the railway transport introduced to
Offa?
2. To what extent did the establishment of the railway transport in Offa contribute to the
development of the area between 1907 and 2008? ;
3. What were the factors responsible for the collapse of railway transport in Nigeria and
what were its effects on the socio-economic life of Offa people?
4. What attempt did successive governments in Nigeria make to revive the railway transport
system?
In other words, the central focus of the study is an attempt to historicise the origin and
development of the railway transport system in Offa between 1907 and 2008, and its effects on
the socio-economic development of the area.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The general aim of this study is to historicize the introduction and extension of the railway
transport in and around Offa and its significance to the people between 1907 and 2008. The
primary focus of the research work covers a period of one century with emphasis on the socio-
6
economic effects of railway transport and the development of Offa and its environs in Kwara
State during the period.
This research, therefore, aims at drawing attention of policy makers to the importance of railway
transport in the revamping and diversification of the Nigeria’s economy for the purpose of
getting the country out of the present economic crisis. Specifically, the objectives of the study
include the following.
1. To trace the history of the extension of the railway from Lagos to Offa between 1907 and
2008;
2. To analyse the role of the railway transport in the development of Offa and its environs
from 1907 to 2008.
3. To investigate the factors responsible for the general collapse in the railway transport in
Offa and Nigeria at large and its socio-economic effects between 1982 and 1999.
4. To examine the responses of successive government in resuscitating the railway system
in Nigeria for the benefit of the study area.
1.4 Significance of the Study
“No facts speak for themselves to lighten the ‘historians’ task; facts must be made to speak in the
light of historians”7. The historical problems concerning the railway transport and development
of Offa deserve a special attention for quick intervention by policy-makers in Nigeria to move
the economy forward. Also, it is very important for record purposes. An attempt to write the
history of the introduction and development of the railway transport in Nigeria and Offa, in
particular, must bring the readers into a clear picture of socio-economic and political
7
opportunities, which Offa people enjoyed during and after the construction of the railway
transport in the area.
Similarly, the railway transport has attracted so much attention currently in the discussion of
issues of sustainable development in advance countries. It has remained the pivot of the required
development in the nation’s economy. In recent times, there have been concerted efforts by
academics, government/ policy-makers, which are geared towards railway development as one of
the major ways to alleviate the present transport problem currently facing Nigeria. Thus,
analysing the importance of the reactivation of the railway transport in Nigeria is considered very
crucial in boosting economic activities in Offa and Nigeria at large.
Furthermore, the desire to write the history of the introduction and development of the railway
transport in Offa is also to bring the study area to the attention of decision-makers and the
benefits derived from the railway transport by the Offa people. It is important to note that the
reasons adduced by the colonial government to construct rail lines across the length and breadth
of Nigeria were two: commerce and administration, which are fundamental to the growth of any
nation8.
It could therefore, be argued that, if railway development had helped the British colonial
government to achieve its targets as proposed, then, the sudden collapse of the railway sector
after the exit of the colonial government should be a source of worry to decision-makers in
Nigeria. In other words, the sector demands urgent attention for careful and critical analysis of
the sudden general collapse in the sector in Nigeria.
The significance of this study lies in the fact that it has attempted to proffer useful suggestions on
how to resuscitate the railway sector in accordance with the global best practices. It is, therefore,
8
hoped that this study would enable government to take the right step(s) to revive the railway
sector in order to boost the railway transport system in the country at large. Thus, the study area
would benefit from the resuscitation.
1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study
The focus of the study is on the role of the railway transport in the development of Offa between
1907 and 2008. The study covers Offa Local Government Area (LGA) and its environs,
including wayside-stations located in Erin-Ile, and Ijagbo under Oyun LGA in Kwara State9. The
year 1907 marked the beginning of railway construction up to Offa. This was the period when
Offa and its environs were linked to the capitalist system as a result of the extension of the
railway transport from Lagos10.
The year 1907 also marked the establishment of Anglican Church at Offa11. It means that
Christianity followed the railway route into Offa. The year 2008 is taken as the terminal period
because it marked a turning point in the history of the railway sector under the President Musa
Yar’adua regime. It was the year that major maintenance projects initiated by President Olusegun
Obasanjo, for the purpose of reviving the railway sector, received serious attention in Nigeria.
Furthermore, 2008 is an important date in the history of the NRC because it was the year of the
signing of a bilateral trade agreement between Nigeria and China on the 23rd September, 2008,
worth about $4billion. This was a major bilateral trade by the Chinese Vice-Minister of
Commerce, Chen Jian, and his Nigerian counterpart, the then Minister of Transport, Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, in Abuja on behalf of their countries respectively12. This date remained
the day the largest contract so far, was signed between the Chinese Government and Nigerian
government to boost the railway sectors.
9
The study is purely about the railway transport and the development of Offa. This involves the
study of the adjoining communities in Offa, Kwara States because of the significant roles these
areas played in the railway construction project before it finally got to Offa. The purpose of
tracing the history of railway transport back to the colonial period is to enable us understand the
role and purpose of the British government in the establishment of railway transport in Nigeria at
large.
1.6 Research Methodology
The basic methodology of this study is the use of historical sources to analyse the introduction
and extension of the railway transport to Offa. To achieve our aim and objectives the study of the
research, both primary and secondary sources were employed. Primary sources include materials
from oral interviews and discussions with eye witnesses who were directly or indirectly involved
in the activities of railway transport and the development at Offa. The oral evidences collected
are compiled and analysed against the backdrop of their authenticity and merit.
The use of oral interview in this study work was inevitable because written sources on the
introduction of railway transport and the development of Offa are relatively scarce. Although, it
has been argued that oral traditions lack ingredients of credibility in history13, a notable English
writer E. H. Carr, asserts that “history begins when men begin to think of the passage of time in
terms not of natural processes the cycle of the seasons, the human life-span - but of a series of
specific events in which men are consciously involved and which they can consciously
influence”14. These could be regarded as a mere assertion by Europeans to relegate African
history to the background. For effective writing and compilation of the history of railway
transport and development regarding a place such as Offa, oral traditions provide a suitable
10
methodology, which allows the voice of the voiceless to be heard on the issues affecting the
socio-economic and political well-being of the people in the study area. Although, this required
perseverance and caution in obtaining the information, the end result justifies the objective of the
study. The archival materials gathered, also, provided information about the development and
extension of the railway transport to Offa.
The researcher met retired and serving railway staff within Offa, Ijagbo, Ipee, Igosun, Ira,
Igbona, Ajase-Ipo, Ilemona and Erin-Ile as included in the bibliographic section of this work to
provide information on the oral interviews. The assistance of indigenes was employed in the case
of illiterates who had information about the study area. The information was handled in such a
way that information gathered are carefully studied and not distorted for any parochial sentiment.
The most relevant secondary sources used for the analysis are books, articles in journals,
internet, newspapers, magazines, unpublished works such dissertations, theses and seminar
papers. Also, to obtain important data, the railway termini at Lagos, Ibadan and Offa, while
stations at Inisa, Oshogbo and Ede provided valuable information were visited. Towns like
Ijagbo, Ipe, Erin-Ile and Ira provided information. Also, findings at Ilorin station provided
useful information that enriched this study. However, there was problem and challenges
encountered in the field while gathering information. People were not willing to release the
information at their disposal. It took intervention of elders in the community before the
researcher could have access to information in Offa local government and railway station in
Offa. Access to vital document in government institution such as Railway Corporation was a
difficult task.
11
The use of interdisciplinary approach to analyze data in the study is of great concern. This
involves gathering data from other disciplines such as Economics for accurate analysis of
number and Geography for proper understanding of the study area. The importance of inter-
disciplinary approach in the study of history has been explained by Alagoa who asserts that the
early history of African societies could best be reconstructed through the combined use of insight
from archaeology, linguistics, anthropology and other disciplines15. However, inter-disciplinary
approach if not use well by the researcher would lead to contradiction in historical document. For
instance, if the user is not skillful and lack coordination, it could lead to inadequate
documentation of events16. Other problems may be wrong selection of data, discarding of
relevant data or inability to combine the various aspects of relevant data to aid accurate historical
reconstruction.
All the sources used were, however, not considered as being sacrosanct. Caution was exercised
in the selection of the sources. Similarly, thorough evaluation of relevant materials was carried
out and careful interpretation of the selected data within the ambit of the historians’ craft was
strictly adhered to.
1.7 Conclusion
The railway transport and the development of Offa began in 1907, shortly after the extension of
the railway system to the area. The connection of Lagos Rail line and that of Baro-Kano gave
opportunity to the British colonial government to lump economic activities in Nigeria together
before the amalgamation of Nigeria as a single entity in 1914. The chapter is a highlight of the
introduction of railway transport and its prospects regarding the extension and the development
of Offa from 1907 – 2008.
12
In particular, this chapter provides the basic background information on the origin and
development of the railway transport and the development of Offa from 1907 to 2008. Also,
analysis of statement of the problem is carefully introduced as the focal point of the work. It
provides information for salient research questions in tandem with aim and objectives of the
study for clarity. The chapter equally deals with the scope and limitations of the study.
Furthermore, the significance of the study is analysed.
13
Endnotes
1. G. O. Ogunremi, Transportation in Pre-Colonial Africa , A Paper presented at
Department of History, University of Lagos, 17 /06/1999
2. A. Olukoju, ‘Transportation in Colonial West Africa’, in G. O. Ogunremi and E. K.
Faluyi, (ed), An Economic History of West Africa Since 1750, (Ibadan: Rex Publication,
1996), p.143.
3. The Chancellor of Exchequer (Sir M. Hick-Beach), COLONIAL LOANS BILL,
www.hansard.millbanksystem.com Retrieved, July 10, 2016
4. Wale Oyemakinde, “Railway Construction and Operation in Nigeria, 1895-1911: Labour
Progress Problems and Socio-Economic Impact”, Journal of The Historical Society of
Nigeria, Vol. VII, No. 2, June 1974 p302.
5. A. Olukoju, “Transportation in Colonial West Africa”, in G. O. Ogunremi & E. K. Faluyi,
(ed), An Economic History of West Africa Since, (Ibadan: Rex Publication, 1996), p144
6. S. O. Olayide, Economic Survey of Nigeria 1960 – 1975, (Ibadan: University Press,
1980), p.108
7. A. Olukoju, “Transportation in Colonial West Africa”, in G. O. Ogunremi & E. K. Faluyi,
(ed), An Economic History of West Africa Since, (Ibadan: Rex Publication, 1996), p146
8. Oral Interview with Rahamani Adekunle, Retired Civil Servant, Aifari’s Compound, Offa,
76 years, May 11, 2014.
9. Kwara State Government Official Website. www.kwarastate.gov.ng, Retrieved, 02-09-
2014 p.2
10. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014.
14
11. J. S. Olawoyin, My Political Reminiscences 1948 – 1983, (Lagos: John West Publications
Ltd. 1993), p.8
12. Nigerian Metro Rail Thread, www.skycrapercity.com/showthread.php?=721518, retrieved
on the 28-02-2015.
13. J. E. Harris, Africans and Their History, (New York: Penguin Group, 1987), p.102
14. E. H Carr, What is History, (Edinburg: Macmillan Ltd. 1969), p.82
15. E. J. Alagoa, The Practice of History in Africa, A History of African Historiography, (Port
Harcourt: Onyoma Research Publications. 2007), p11.
16. R.G. Collingwood, The Ideal of History, (New York: N.Y Publishers, 1977), p69-70.
15
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
2.1 Introduction
The study of the railway transport in Nigeria is significant because of its importance in the socio-
political and economic life of the country. The subject has attracted the attention of many
scholars, including historians, who have tried in various ways to conceptualise and analyse the
importance of the sector in the economic history of Nigeria. Most of the studies that have been
carried out focused attention on the establishment of railway transport in areas such as Lagos,
Ibadan and Kano, with less attention on Offa and its environs, and during the timeframe of the
study.
The Literature review is categorised into three in this chapter. First, the significance of the
railway transport in Africa. The second links the sector to agricultural development in Nigeria.
Lastly, Offa economy and society is analysed. The last section focuses on conceptual
perspectives and theoretical framework related to the study.
2.2 The Significance of the Railway in Africa
Ponnuswamy S, in “Railway Transportation Engineering, Operation and Management”1,
observes that railway transport is a major byproduct of the industrial revolution for socio-
economic advancement of nations, wherever they exist. According to him, railway transport was
developed as a privately owned public utility, serving the dual purposes of earning profit to the
owner and at the same time providing affordable services to the society in form of affordable
transport means, both for personal mobility and for transportation of goods in Africa. Special
reference has been made to India railway transport.
16
Ponnuswamy2 further asserts that railway transport plays a crucial role in shaping the economic
development of various countries. The contribution of the railway transport in development,
according to Ponnuswamy, to Europe and parts of Europe and Africa cannot be over emphasised.
He further maintains that railway helps in territorial division of labour and specialisation.
Besides that, the author says that railway transport plays an important role in the development of
agriculture in different parts of the country by facilitating movement of goods and services to
such areas from ports and factories and the distribution of food grains to various consumer
centres at fairly concessional rates3. Ponnuswamy’s work discusses extensively the development
of railway and its economic importance in the Western world. He says, “Railway plays a crucial
role in shaping of the economic development of the country, since they facilitate movement of
both raw materials as well as the finished products on a large scale over long distances”4.
Although Ponnuswamy’s discourse cannot be fully applied to our study area, however, his
assertion that railway employs a large work force and thus provides vast employment
opportunities is significant to our study, notwithstanding the collapse of the railway transport in
Nigeria at large.
Another relevant work is Wale Oyemakinde’s work entitled “Railway Construction and
Operation in Nigeria, 1895 -1911: Labour Problems and Socio-Economic Impact”5. The author
explains the chronicle account of railway construction in Africa with the Nigerian railway
transport in greater focus. In view of this, he says Gilbert Carter, the then colonial governor of
Lagos, realised that as early as 1893, railway construction had been found to be the practical
answer to the problem of joining the Nigerian coast to its hinterland.
17
The hope was that it would make it convenient to send troops at once to possible rebellious
groups and ease administration tremendously. He embarked on peace mission to the interior of
Yorubaland in 1893, which gave him insight on economic potentialities and possibility for the
construction of a much needed railway. The activities of Joseph Chamberlin, the Secretary of
State in United Kingdom, gave impetus to the construction of railway in Nigeria. In the case of
Nigeria, the British government granted a guarantee of interest, thus enabling the Nigerian
government to secure the much needed capital loan from the London Money Market in 1895.
The survey for the construction of railway from Lagos was completed in May, 1895, and the
construction work started in December 18956.
The author explains further that during the construction of the Lagos railway there were
difficulties the British government encountered, but that did not deter the continuation of the
project. Part of the problems was the difficulty of cutting through thick tropical forest from the
coast inwards particularly in the wet season when undergrowth rose luxuriantly with amazing
rapidity after first clearance. It was in fact necessary to cut down the bush for many feet beyond
each side of the track or trees would occasionally fall across the rail after heavy rain
accompanied by strong winds.
The author further states that when the railway commenced operation, the large employment
opportunities generated by railway sector did not only solve the post-war problem of
unemployment in Yorubaland, it really dealt with the old institution of slavery. Many domestic
slaves who joined the railway service soon gathered enough to pay their ransom to become free
men. The railway service gave them the opportunity to make more money to acquire more
wives7. The enthusiasm of the Yoruba people in the railway service led to the exportation of
1,300 Yorubas to Gold Coast (Ghana) for railway work. And so, when railway construction went
18
to North from Ibadan, the Yoruba still formed the labour force in the main work until the Gwaris
and Hausa accepted railway labour. However, the railway work was done for a long specifically
outside the planting and harvesting seasons and not as a way of life by the Hausas.
Wale Oyemakinde explains further that by August of 1899, 10,432 indigenous people were
employed for railway construction projects spread across different towns and villages in Nigeria.
Railway employment became attractive after the opening of the Lagos-Ibadan line on the 4th of
March 1901. Interestingly, the opening of the rail had great impact on the people because the
railway system interconnected towns and settlements not only to tap economic resources but also
provided jobs for the youths. Again, as early as in 1902, F. Bedford Glasier, the General
Manager of the Lagos Government Railway, had indicated that everything would be done to
equip the “sons of the soil” to serve on the railway. Although little achievement was recorded,
only two of such people actually returned from England, while very few completed their course
at home at the Ebute Meta Locomotive Workshops. Also, part of the effort made to equip the
indigenous people was training in traffic and telegraph in the United Kingdom. In 1909, 19
people were sent out, 25 in 1910, 19 in 1911, 28 in 1912 and 44 in 19138. This was the effort put
in place by the British Government to motivate the Nigerian Railway workers. The author gives
general analysis of issues surrounding the construction of railway in Nigeria with emphasis on
different areas such as the western part of country without information about Offa, the study
area.
Jonathan Ajakaye Ajayi’s work The Effect of Rail Transport on Socio-Economic Development of
Nigeria: A Case Study of Nigeria Railway Corporation 1995 – 20029, states that the first rail line
in Africa was constructed in 1852 by the famous railway engineer, Robert Stephen, to connect
Cairo with Alexandra in Egypt, and in the Cape Colony of South Africa in 1859. In Tropical
19
Africa, railway construction started towards the end of the 19th century, especially after the
Berlin West African Conference of 1884 – 1885 when tropical Africa was partitioned among
various European countries. It may, indeed, be said that the period between the late 19th century
and the First World War was the boom era in railway construction in tropical Africa. It was
during this period that most of the present railways were constructed. The analysis of the author
gave brief historical background of how the railway system began in Africa, particularly in the
West African sub-region. This development has thrown some light on the introduction of railway
to Nigeria, especially to the area under the study.
Ajayi dates the construction of the first rail line in Nigeria in 1885 and the construction of rail
line in Otta in 1898 and Ibadan in 1901. The author maintains that the line got to Jebba in 1909
and linked Baro-Kano line. According to the author, the Eastern line connecting Port-Harcourt to
Enugu was started in 1916 from where it extended to Kaduna through rail the Bridge in Makurdi
in 1932. However, as elaborate as Ajayi’s work seems to be in its attempt to explain the spread
of the railway lines in Nigeria, the work fails to recognise the importance of railway construction
in Offa as at 1907, and the role Offa terminus played in terms of connectivity, particularly the
amalgamation of Baro-Kano Rail line with the Lagos government railway in 1912, which served
as the major means of facilitating commercial activities between the South and North, thereby
politically bringing the two regions together for administrative purposes. The relevance of this
work lies in the fact that the analysis of the author provided accurate information with specific
dates on the spread of railway transport in Nigeria.
Another relevant work for this study is J. S. Hogendorn’s article entitled; “The Vent-For Surplus
Model and African Cash Agriculture to 1914”10. In his observation, he compares the predictions
of a well-known model of international trade, “the vent –for-surplus model”, with the actual
20
experience of African cash crops evacuation before 1914. He demonstrates how the introduction
and development of the rail transport helped people to harness the resources of Northern Nigeria,
which Offa and its environs were part. Hogendorn states that the quest to engage in internal and
external trade became guaranteed for Offa inhabitants and travellers by the introduction of the
railway transport. He argues further that development was inevitably frustrated by lack of capital
formation, technological innovation, and the emergence of indigenous entrepreneur ability. It is
obvious that improvement in transport and communications facilitates trade11. Generally, the
construction of rail lines improved trade activities in Africa at large, including Nigeria, and of
course, Offa.
Hogendorn12, says that the completion of railway transport in Kano brought in some European
firms to Kano where they offered to buy groundnuts in large quantities. Several prosperous
Hausa merchants in kolanut with the cotyledons, otherwise locally known as Hausa Kola;
especially Agalawa and Tokarawa, recruited village heads with money gifts, and advanced salt
and cloth to farmers in return for an agreement that the value would be repaid in groundnuts
during the forthcoming year. About 10,000 tons were sold in Kano that first season, in late 1912
and early 1913. A very large increase in output had taken just one year to accomplish. However,
even though the author did a thorough analysis of benefits derived by the farmers and merchants
in Northern Nigeria following the introduction of railway transport, little or no mention is made
about Offa in terms of crops production, particularly sweet potato, which grew from household
production to commercial quantities shortly after the extension of railway transport to the area.
Also, the area covered by the rail transport in the area was not captured. Notwithstanding, these
short falls, part of the work is still relevant to this study.
21
In “The History of the Railway: In Volume one, “Opening the nation and sea, air and road
transportation”13, Jaekel explains the origin and expansion of European enterprise from the
beginning of the 18th century. The focus of the book is on the roles harbour, water-ways, roads
and railway systems played in the expansion of British political, economic and social influence
over the entire Nigeria and some Africa territories. The thrust of the author’s argument is on
Africa and Nigeria, but it however, fails to analyse the contribution of Offa as a key player in the
railway transport in Nigeria. The work has gave credence to study area by providing adequate
information on Africa particularly Nigeria where the study area (Offa) belong to. However, the
book still provides some useful inputs for this study.
In Volume II of “Railway Network and Structure”14, Jaekel argues that transport infrastructure
was the necessary means through which the colonial government achieved its goal of the
amalgamation of Nigeria as a nation. This facilitated economic exploitation of the vast
economic resources of Nigeria as a whole, to which Offa is an integral part. The work
contributes to our understanding of the economic exploitation that took place in Africa and
Nigeria which is relevant to our study. The major shortcoming of the work lies in its attempt to
examine the entire Africa and Nigeria without giving analysis to some areas, including Offa,
which also benefited substantially from the railway transport.
A. G Hopkins, in his book, An Economic History of West Africa15, maintains that industrial
revolution in England in the 19th century put pressure on Britain to seek opportunity in Africa
for raw materials needed for production. According to him, the demand made the British
authority to develop the railway transport and other infrastructure as important means for the
movement of both raw materials and industrial goods within colonies. Hopkins and Jaekel see
the colonial period as a massive phase in the investment of European capital and technology in
22
Africa. Railway development was an aspect of Western technology that was transferred into
African continent for the benefit of the colonial economy. Hopkins argues that Western
technology (railway transport) helped to expand the production of farm products which created
new market for Offa people. However, the author failed to explain the problems encountered by
the Africans in the process of introducing this new technology, particularly railway transport,
which is our focus in the study. One of the problems facing Africans then was land acquisition
by the colonial government. Land acquisition for railway construction altered the organized
traditional settlements pattern in the affected areas, particularly Offa. In addition, the advantages
and disadvantages of the railway transport, particularly to Offa, are not thoroughly analysed,
since the author based his argument on generalisation which has relegated to the background the
experience of the Offa people.
Hopkins16 further explains the general experience of Nigerian workers in the forced labour
scheme introduced by the colonial administration not only for the section of the railway projects,
but for the prosecution of other public works such as the construction of roads, bridges, schools
and hospitals. He particularly decries the meager wages paid to the Nigerian labour force as
opposed to expatriate labour. Hopkins’ work is, however, too generalised. It tended to cover the
conditions of workers in all sectors at that time. It failed to give detailed analysis of the
conditions of railway workers in Nigeria vis-à-vis the situation of railway workers in Offa at that
time.
Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa17 is another work that is very relevant to
this study. Rodney argues that the railway made Africans to witness the first physical evidence of
a new economy in the form of roads, railways and telegraphs construction. Transportation and
communication lines were a prelude to conquest, and they were logistically necessary in
23
occupied areas so that the latter could serve as the starting points for further aggression.
However, few roads and railways were not only for military interest, but also to facilitate the
colonial conquest and for the extraction of groundnut, cotton and other primary produce. The
main point of Rodney’s argument is that railways and roads were the necessary infrastructure in
the European expansion and exploitation of the African continent. Railways were built to
facilitate the exploitation of areas that were endowed with natural resources and agricultural
products. The relevance of this book lies in the significance of railway transport to Africa; the
invention and introduction of railway transport to Africa brought changes to the African
economy. The author also explains the negative aspect of railway transport to Africa as an
instrument of exploitation in Africa for the benefit of Europeans. The attention of the author is
on Africa at large. Although the study area is an integral part of Afrcia, the area had equal
experience of exploitation of her resources by the Europeans.
A. A Lawal’s The Colonial and the State from Pre-Colonial Times to the Present18 portrays
colonial economic policy, which sought to modernise local transport, the distributive system,
money and banking, distribution and use of land and forced labour with the objective of
expanding export production and distribution of European manufactured goods. In a bid to
achieve this, the Lagos Colony and the protectorate of Southern Nigeria were benefiting much
from the maritime trade by collecting duties on imports, especially trade in spirits. The British
government deemed it fit to establish and manage the Lagos railway, communications, marine
services, roads, electricity and schools. For the upland where there is no water, the authors
concluded that the establishment of railway transport served as alternative means of taxation for
the colonial government, particularly on the goods and services delivered by railway services to
the people of Nigeria at that point in time.
24
According to Lawal from time immemorial, the inhabitants of the area that became known as
Nigeria were engaged in internal and external trade. Similarly, their economic activities were
influenced by changing conditions and adoption of new technologies. In similar manner,
different markets were established for locally produced and imported goods. The involvement of
Offa people in both internal and external trade linked Offa community with other communities
even before the advent of the railway transport. Lawal, however, states that the adoption of a
new mode of transportation (railway transport) in Offa opened the area to the wider world. The
marke,t which was limited to locally produced items moved beyond the boundary of Offa. It
created opportunity for the community beyond Nigeria19.
Lawal explains further that by 19th century, trading and commercial activities were promoted in
towns and cities that sprang up in Nigeria as a result of remarkable socio-political and economic
changes through the railway system. These changes spread across Lagos, Kano, Ilorin, Ibadan,
Sokoto, Oshogbo, Zaria, Abeokuta, Bida and Kukawa. Markets in these urban centres offered
ample profitable commercial opportunities to weavers, carvers, tailors, tanners, leather dressers
and saddlers, cobblers, iron-smelters and blacksmiths, as well as wood-workers, and other
artisans. These market towns were linked by various trade routes that facilitated the development
of the railway network across the Nigerian area20. The author highlights the contributions of
railway system in facilitating economic activities in major towns in Nigeria from 1900 – 1960.
Of particular importance is the mention of Offa, although he fails to analyse the events that
happened after independence till 2008 since the work focuses on specific period between 1900
1nd 1960. The literature is relevant because it focuses on Nigeria where the study is located.
However, the author could not explain how taxes were charged in Offa at that particular period.
25
Similarly, the book did not beam its light properly on Offa, since its focus was on Nigeria at
large.
Lord Lugard, in his The Dual Mandate in British Tropical Africa21, observes that colonialism
was a European project established to help the colonies and Europe. The author juxtaposes the
significance of railway transport to both parties; the Africans and Europeans. Actually, the
coming of railway transport was an opportunity for the Europeans to penetrate the hinterlands
and evacuate large quantities of agricultural products to keep industries growing in Europe. At
the same time, it served, and still serves, the interest of Africans in the area of movement from
one place to another. It helped to boost intergroup relations and business activities among them.
The link between the North and South through the railway network in 1912 before the real
amalgamation of the two protectorates in 1914 to form what became Nigeria had significant
economic consequences not only to Nigeria at large, but to other areas, including Offa, covered
by the railway lines.
T. N. Tamuno in his British Colonial Administration in Nigeria in The Twentieth Century22. says,
to ensure central direction of policy and pool economic resources, the British government, from
1898, adopted the policy of gradually amalgamating its various administrative units in Nigeria.
In May 1905, Lagos Colony and Protectorate were amalgamated with the Protectorate of
Southern Nigeria to form the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. The government
at that time did not seek the views of Nigerians for the amalgamation of the two territories, to
ascertain whether or not they favoured such an action. The primary aim of the colonial
government in 1906 was economic to use the better financial position of the Protectorate of
Southern Nigeria to cover the costs of administration and development in the financially weak
Colony and Protectorate of Lagos, then saddled with the white elephant project of railway
26
construction, and extension, since 1901. Tamuno disagrees with Lugad’s position on the dual
benefits to both parties involved; the colonial government and Nigeria. Tamnuo sees the
development of railway transport as a purely economic gain for the colonial government to
evacuate the needed raw materials for their home industries. The position of Tamuno throws
more light on the plight of the Nigerian people on tax imposition by the colonial government for
the execution of the railway transport and other white elephant projects at the expense of
indigenes. Although the project later served the interest of the people, the initial aim was not in
the interest of Offa people, but rather for the economic benefit of the colonial government.
2.3 Railway Transport and Agricultural Development in Nigeria
Mike O. Odey, in the “The Development of Cash Crop Economy in Nigeria’s Lower Benue
Province, 1910-1960”23, opines that the extension of the railway from Lagos to Jebba, and later
to Baro and Kano was a crucial factor in the development of the groundnut trade in northern
Nigeria. This assertion gave credence to the reason why the British government decided to
invest in the construction of rail lines to meet the demands of the industrial revolution in Europe.
Odey further asserts that the construction of the two major railways in Nigeria was meant to
promote cotton production in Nigeria for the Lancashire Mills. He maintains that between 1906
and 1914 there was a growing demand for groundnut oil as the basic cheap raw material for blue
marble soap, cooking oil and margarine as a substitute for butter which had been the basic raw
material as far back as in the 1870s in Europe when margarine production began. According to
the author, other raw materials were oleo (extracted from animal fat), palm oil and palm kernel,
cotton seed oil, copra (coconuts) and tallow. Subsequent increase in groundnut production
increased its exportation from 875 to 19,000 tons in 190024.
27
According to Odey, twenty six years later (1937), even during the depression period, groundnut
exports exceeded 300,000 tons for the first time in Nigeria. The availability of rail transport
system gave opportunity to traders to buy groundnut in bulk and convey to the coast for onward
transfer to Europe. Odey explains that in the 20th century, the price of groundnut oil was cheap
and a ready vegetable substitute for all other raw materials for margarine. The third and most
crucial factor in the development of the groundnut trade in Northern Nigeria Odey argues
resulted from “the price of giving interest-free advances or credits up to a certain limit as
working capital to farmers, middlemen and other colonial agents with sufficient means”25. This
quickened the pace of development. However, the author did not exhaustively discuss the
contribution of railway transport in the movement of groundnut, which led to reduction in prices.
Similarly, Offa, which served as a gate way between the Northern part and Lagos coast dealing
with bulky evacuation of goods and services, particularly groundnut, is not reflected in Odey’s
analysis.
Ayodeji Olukoju, in his work, “Transportation in Colonial West Africa”26, like Odey, believes
that the development of railway in Nigeria was inspired by the popular belief that the railway had
played a crucial role in the march towards the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the
remarkable economic development in North America, India, and Australia. The clamour for
railway development in Nigeria was to maximise economic gains by the colonial government,
besides other reasons such as quick dispatch of troops to quell uprisings in the hinterlands as part
of the colonial conquest of the interior. Olukoji’s work looks at Nigeria as a whole with the
British goal of conquering the hinterlands. The author examines some programmes of the
colonial government such as conquering of the hinterland for economic gains without analyzing
the socio-economic gains of railway transport in Nigeria, especially in Offa where railway
28
transport also had a strong hold. On the whole, however, his analysis on the general development
of the railway transport in Nigeria provided very useful inputs for this study.
S.A. Agboola, in Agricultural Changes in Western Nigeria 1850 – 191027, sees the spread of new
crops in Western Nigeria as a result of the movement of people. The introduction of new crops
had far-reaching consequences upon the agricultural economy and the cultural landscape of
Western Nigeria since the early years of the century. The genesis of the agricultural changes,
which took place was laid particularly in the 1850s, when contact between the traditional and the
European economies became more intense than ever before. Within the period of just about a
century, the forest belt and some parts of the savannah in the area had been transformed into
some of the most prosperous agricultural regions of Nigeria. Not only were tree crops such as
cocoa, coffee and kola (cola nitida) established during the period, but also traditional crops such
as the oil palm, rubber, cotton and maize assumed new significance.
Agboola says cocoa, which then dominated the agricultural economy of Western Nigeria, had a
remarkable nursery bed in Agege for cocoa plantations in the area. That development was made
possible by a combination of favourable circumstances. First, was the establishment of the
Ebute-Meta Botanical Station, which facilitated the distribution of cocoa seeds to adjacent
districts as from 1893. He adds that, the movement of the seeds got a boost after the
establishment of railway in 1895 through the growing interest of the merchant class,
professionals, clergy and other educated groups in the acquisition of landed property for the
cultivation of cocoa. The author claims that the expansion was more rapid in the inland due to
the large number of people who found themselves without any occupation after 1893, the
extensive tracts of land available to able-bodied men who could cultivate the land coupled with
the presence of many buying agents of cocoa produce all over the Western part, which had better
29
means of transportation to Lagos. He further claims that after the railway reached Ibadan in
1901, it facilitated the rapid spread of cocoa plantation in the Western part28. These claims are
relevant to this study because they show the importance of railway transport in the development
and spread of cash crops across the Western part of Nigeria, to which Offa belonged. Oral
tradition laid emphasis on the role the railway transport played in the movement of sweet potato
and yam from Offa to places such as Ijebu, Shagamu and other parts of Ogun State, then, through
the help of railway transport29.
Similarly, Azuh Dominic and Mathew A. Oluwatoyin, in “The Role of Agriculture in Poverty
Alleviation and National Development in Nigeria”30, agree that agriculture was still the mainstay
of Nigeria’s economy. It may not be an over statement to assert that agriculture has made
significant contribution to the national economy. The importance of agriculture is clearly seen in
the Nigerian government’s New Agricultural Policy of 2004, which sought to attain the level of
self-subsistence in agriculture. This is akin to the period of the European railway in Nigeria,
which increased the production of agricultural products.
It is important to note that the Europeans recognised agriculture as a vital sector that could
achieve and supply the needs of the industries in Europe then. Increase production in the
agricultural sector above subsistence level facilitated the growth of the other sectors of the
economy by stimulating growth of industries thereby widening employment opportunities.
Agriculture provided increase in income for various segments of the population.
The foregoing was the case in Offa upon the establishment of railway transport. The agricultural
sector provided good opportunity for people to embark on cultivating varieties of agricultural
products. This, in turn, resulted in increased income and capital formation thereby leading to the
30
growth of the non-Agricultural sector also. For instance, various Multi-National Corporations
such as Lever Brothers (UNILEVER) and Paterson Zochonis (PZ) had their presence in Offa for
the benefit of the people. This also contributed to medium and small scale industries, which
sprang up in Offa.
In a similar vein, foreign exchanges through export of farm produce accelerated the development
of other sectors of the economy and ensured favourable balance of payment and trade. The
industrial expansion, which was a bye-product of capital formation, acted as a catalyst for
establishing more industries and accelerating job opportunities for the teeming population in both
agricultural and non-agricultural sectors in Nigeria, which the study area, Offa, was equally
affected. Although the authors focused on Nigeria to which the study area is an integral part, the
book does not beam its light properly on Offa to be able to clearly analyse the effects of the
development of the railway transport there. The analysis on Nigerian railway has made the text
relevant for this study.
T. Falola and S. J Salm, in Nigerian Cities31, explain that the amalgamation of the two railways
in 1912, Lagos Government Railway and Baro-Kano Railway meant the creation of a single
railway line from the coast at Lagos to Kano in Northern Nigeria. Until 1916, when Eastern
railway was opened from Port Harcourt to Udi, railway operations in the country were limited to
the Lagos-Kano line. As in the case of the Lagos railway and Baro-Kano railway, the
construction of the Eastern railway was contingent on local needs and independent
considerations, that is, the need to tap Udi coal mines.
Thus, according to the authors, although the various lines were later unified and operated under
one management, their construction was motivated by the exigencies of the moment and the
31
mood of their individual or corporate bodies. Once it was started, it became necessary to extend
the Eastern railway beyond the Udi coal fields to link with the Lagos-Kano truck line at Kaduna.
The benefit anticipated to derive from each location precipitated the establishment of railway
transport in the areas mentioned. However, the fact that Offa rail network was established with a
terminus linking the Lagos-Kano line, the emphasis on this has not been examined in these
works with the interest it deserves.
Falola and Salm further argue that the impact of the Baro-Kano line on the development of cash
crops for export was rather spontaneous. According to them, it stimulated the production of
groundnuts on a large scale in the vicinity of the railway. They state further that barely a year
after opening the Baro-Kano line, the volume of traffic had grown beyond the capacity of
existing railway facilities32. The authors’ interest on Lagos and Baro-Kano relegated the
importance of Offa terminus to the background of their analysis, even when the terminus
remained the only station saddled with administrative power servicing other stations from Origo
in Osun State to Mokwa. However, some of the facts contained in the works are relevant to this
study.
In Economic Survey of Nigeria 1960-197533, S.O. Olayide discusses how the rail system provides
links between productive and well-populated parts of the country. While elaborating on the
subsequent decline in the railway transport, the author says the railway transport provided
opportunity for long-haul bulk. Axle load is limited by several stretches of lightweight rail, and
operating speeds are restricted by extensive distance of curved track as well as step grades in
parts of the system. The author gives analysis of the passengers carried by railways between
1959 and 1974, passengers’ traffic declined by 33.43 per cent representing an average annual
32
decline of 2.09 per cent. The corresponding figures for cargo tonnage declined between 138.10
per cent and 8.63 per cent respectively34.
Olayide’s explanation goes further to explain the process of replacing the steam engines with
diesel engine as a remedy to the decline in the railway transport. Olayide argues that the
declining fortune in the railway sector is gleaned from the fact that the railways have operated in
deficit in every year, especially in the past fifteen years within the period of that study. The
analysis shows a deficit of the railway from ₦6.9 million in 1965/1966 to ₦23.1million in
1973/197435. The author directly attributed the root cause of the decline to the use of steam
engine, which led to the replacement of steam engines with diesel engines. However, the
administrative aspect of the decline was not properly captured in the analysis notwithstanding its
critical role in measuring the level of maladministration in the railway sector, particularly in Offa
station. Similarly, the author could not separate in his analysis the level of malfeasance or
maladministration, which led to the decline of the system in the area under study, and how it
affected the economic development of the study area. Despite the existing gaps in the work,
some aspects of the work are very vital to this study.
Joshua Adetunji Odeleye’s work, entitled “Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway
Development in Nigeria”36, focuses on the inefficient railway system and how it has hardly
developed at all for over the past 100 years compared to railway transport in the developed
countries. The 100 percent ownership by the Nigerian government has contributed greatly to the
neglect as mentioned earlier in the study. It is against this background that the author suggests
public-private partnership as a remedy for the ailing railway system in Nigeria with a view to
developing the Nation’s railway system to international standards. Odeleye37 cites examples of
countries like Japan, France and Canada, where new strategies, such as public-private
33
partnership and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangements, as well as old strategies such as
privatization, are being adopted in attempt to enhance railway safety, punctuality and reliability.
Furthermore, Joshua Odeleye argues that there has been vast improvement in railway transport
worldwide, especially in the expansion of high-speed rail network such as the Shinkansen in
Japan. New non-rail technologies such as the Japanese MAGLEV are being investigated. The
priority for these charges has environmental undertones, and railways are increasingly being seen
as environmental friendly38. Odeleye’s argument goes further to state that transportation policy in
developed countries is dynamic and changes government policy responsiveness in the transport
sector, especially in the rail transport sector where innovation and development are fairly
consistent and largely limited to policy making and execution. Meanwhile, the railway
infrastructure and provision of services and infrastructure is largely left in the hands of private
enterprises. This approach, according to him, has generally enhanced efficiency, punctuality and
reliability in the railway sector39. This argument makes the work relevant to this study in the
sense that it has given a lead way in addressing the perennial problem of railway transport in
Nigeria generally.
In a similar vein, Bernard J. Smales, in his book, Economic History Made Simple40, states that
railway transport is consistently ran at loss in countries where the sector is nationalised. This has
brought public criticisms based on the feeling that the railway sector should be a paying industry
as opposed to the forgotten fact that most railway systems in the world are ran at a loss. In this
context, Bernard has given clear reason why railways run at deficit. Although the assumption is
not clearly stated, the work is relevant in the area of consistent problems encountered in the
Nigerian Railway Corporation. The most important issue now is to look at it in the Nigerian
perspective.
34
To buttress his analysis, Bernard used Beeching Report of 1970 in his illustration to recommend
that the only way to cut losses was to reorganise the railway system and the closure of
unprofitable lines. The report recommended the closure to passenger traffic of over 5,000 miles
routes and 2,363 stations out of some 7,000. It also recommended that traffic should be carried in
full train loads, and that the number of liner trains should be expanded41.
Even though Bernard used reports from developed countries as a yardstick to measure the
performance and decline in railway services, he provides a remarkable framework for
understanding the reasons why the railway system in Nigeria runs at a lost. The work equally
provides a good framework for development of the railway sector in Nigeria. This aspect of the
work provides very valuable material to this study.
Claude Ake, in his analysis in A Political Economy of Africa42, argues that in Nigeria, while the
Kano-Apapa railway line was built to facilitate the collection of cotton, groundnut and cocoa for
export, the Enugu-Port Harcourt line was built to serve the oil trade. The author sees railway
transport in the colonial era as a disarticulation of the transport system. The colonial government
did not constitute in any country a coherent system of communications; neither did it contribute
to the building of a coherent economy. The incoherence in policy formulation of the railway
system rendered related ancillary communication facilities chaotic as well. He gives an instance
in his analysis that the ports tended to be built at the terminals of the railways since the location
of the railway was invariably determined by the location of the desired commodity rather than
the location of the prospective port exit.
The author gives a number of reasons why the Nigerian railway had been in perpetual problem
since its establishment. He states that in Nigeria, the Kano-Apapa railway line was built to
35
facilitate the collection of cotton, groundnut and cocoa for export. And the Enugu-Port Harcourt
line was built to serve the oil-palm trade. In other African countries, the building of railway in
what is now known as Zaire, there is Chemin de Fer Bas-Cargo au Katanga, built to connect the
mineral rich Katanga to the seaport. In Congo, there is the Congo-Ocean Railway, built expressly
to facilitate the transportation of manganese ore and forest products from Garbon. Among other
railway lines built specifically for export commodities were the Marampa-Pepel line in Sierra
Leone, the Fria-Conakry line in Guinea, the entire railway system of Liberia, the Dakar-Niger
railway line in Mali and Senegal, and the Port Etienne-Fort Gouraud line in Mauritania. The
Germans in Togo actually named their railway lines after the particular primary commodities and
minerals, which they supposed to transport such as the cotton line, the cocoa line, the coconut
line, the iron line and the palm-oil line.
Ake’s work has provided some cogent reasons responsible for the sudden decline of railway
transport system shortly after the exit of the British colonial government in Nigeria with clear
references to other African countries. The work is relevant to this study because it gives reasons
why railway transport was neglected by the successive governments, which affected the smooth
operation of railway transport system, which in turn, affected the development of Offa as a
settlement.
Joshua Odeleye’s work, “Politics of Rail Transport Development in Developing Countries; Case
of Nigeria”43, sees the railway transport in most developing countries as the least developed
mode of transportation. For instance, in Nigeria, the huge financial benefits accrued from the rail
transport operations and developments have been on the decline since mid-1970s. The vacuum in
the development of railway transport in Nigeria is responsible for a significant level of access
denial to a safer, affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation, to the younger
36
generation of Nigerians who never had opportunity to witness the booming era of railway
transport in Nigeria. Joshua Odeleye was able to identify the principal factors responsible for its
intangible contribution to the socio-economic development of Nigeria as it is being witnessed in
Offa.
Odeleye concludes that inconsistences in policy formulation and implementation by successive
governments, policy reversal as well as uncoordinated national transport policies and objectives
were the clogs in the wheel of progress of railway development in Nigeria. According to him, the
capacity of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) was characterised by obsolescent technology,
snail-like trains speed, derailment, maladministration, corruption, workers’ unrest, abandoned
projects, financial constraints, low morale of staff, downsising or rightsising of staff as major
issues leading to the collapse of railway transport in Nigeria. He asserts that, due to these
numerous problems, the NRC ran erratic services that rarely meet the customers’ demand and
satisfaction. The relevance of this literature to this study lies in the fact that it has shown various
challenges, which face the railway transport in Nigeria.
To deal with the foregoing problems, Odeleye opines that, although from a global point of view
railway projects are usually long-term investment projects44, however, an appraisal of the
sequence of the railway development project in Nigeria in the last thirty years is not encouraging.
He equally suggests that the railway transport system should be expanded using new technology
as a panacea to mono-rails, automated-guided trains and light railways as well as the metro
railway (underground) system being operated in advanced countries. He argues that these
systems would be more energy-efficient and environmental-friendly than the rickety mini-buses,
cars, tricycles, and motorcycles that are used for urban mass transit in most cities in Nigeria.
Similarly, he pushed his analysis further to suggest that the development of railway transport in
37
Nigeria into a more dependable, regular safe and efficient system must be supported and given
priority by the government, through the introduction of private initiative45. However, the general
overview from the Nigeria perspective does not isolate Offa for specific analysis,
notwithstanding the fact that is provides some useful insight about some aspects of this study.
2.4 Literature Review on Offa Economy and Society
J. S. Olawoyin, in his book, My Political Reminiscences 1948 – 198346, explains how the railway
transport drew large number of political actors to Offa in the era of nationalist movement in
Nigeria. It was particularly the time when the nationalists were soliciting for money and seeking
for the mandate of the whole country to proceed to Great Britain to demand for self-government
for Nigeria. According to Olawoyin, Herbert Macaulay, accompanied by Dr. Abubakar Ibiyinka,
Prince Adeleke Adedoyin and Mrs. Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti went to Offa on the 1st of May,
1946, for a fund raising mission. This was an eye opener for Offa people in terms of political
awareness. The popularity that Offa had then would not have been possible without the presence
of railway transport, which connected Offa with important towns and cities in Nigeria.
Similarly, the modern housing estate at Offa provided conducive accommodation and
environment for important dignitaries. The influence of the political heavy weights coming to
Offa had positive impact on political activities in Offa. The author analyses the significant role
the railway transport played in the lives of the Offa people in terms of political awareness and
participation. However, his analysis tilts more towards political gain than economic benefits.
L. A. K Jimoh, in his book, ILORIN: The Journey So far47, analyses the major cause of rivalry
between Offa and Ilorin. He argues that the unilateral declaration of independence by Offa
immediately after the Jalumi disaster 1878 betrayed the Olofa’s disloyalty to Ilorin. It also
38
reminded Ilorin of the two previous incidents in which Offa similarly collaborated with the
enemies of Ilorin. The first occasion was the complicity of Offa in the Ogele War during which
Kankanfo Toyeje of Ogbomosho led combined Yoruba armies to invade Ilorin only to be crushed
at Ogele. The second was an alliance between Offa and the Yoruba under the leadership of
Adegun, the Onikoyi, during which the duo attempted to invade Ilorin.
His analysis explains the struggle between Offa and Ilorin which led to the demotion of Olofa
district head in 1917 and its restoration in 1980 after a protracted struggle. This analysis provides
an in-depth knowledge of the struggle between Offa and Ilorin. Also, it has given adequate
information on the efforts made by members of the Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), a cultural
group formed by an arm of railway staffs who were the natives of Offa to champion the course
natives. This task was led by J.S Olawoyin to restore the title of Olofa as a first class Oba in
Kwara State.
More importantly, it has given moral judgment to the study to live above parochial sentiment or
wearing the toga of ethnic bias. The author moves further to examine the formation of the Royal
Niger Company (RNC) as an important company, which led to the emergence of modern
entrepreneurship in Kwara as a whole, with emphasis on Ilorin, during the reign of Oba Sulu
Gambari. However, the work does not discuss the contribution of railway to the development of
commerce in Kwara State. Similarly, the significance of railway transport as a prime mover of
commerce in the area was relegated in his discourse48. Meanwhile, the prime mover of the
economy in Africa, especially in the colonial period, was railway transport. The analysis did not
also adequately touch on the immense contributions the railway transport made in the
development of Offa economy since 1907. Generally, however, the work provides some useful
information for this study.
39
Rahaman Adetunji Lateef, in his work Olofamojo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The
people of Offa49, analyses the erroneous impression about Offa people regarding the settlement
and re-settlement of Offa as a community engaged in incessant wars between her and the Nupes,
and in the course of escape from natural causes such as the rat invasion. He says that, it has been
alleged in some quarters that “Offa has no land”, and that she abandoned her land in entirety in
the course of her resettlement(s). He further states that Offa currently occupies the land of her
suburb towns like Erin-Ile. He argues that these allegations are totally misconstrued. His analysis
provides historical evidences to the ownership of Offa land by saying that it is an
incontrovertible fact that Olalomi Olofagangan first launched the first Offa community at
“Maika” after years of hunting in the wilderness, which later became Offa town as earlier
explained. He maintains that it could be authoritatively asserted that when Olalomi first settled at
Maika, he met nobody or towns on the landmass in which he hunted for long time. The author’s
analysis is relevant to this work because of the erroneous conceptions created in some quarters
that Offa had no land to accommodate anything such as railway structure, hence the people of
Offa capitalized on the weakness of their neighbouring towns to carve out more land into their
fold.
Lateef equally gives a historical background of how the neighbouring towns met the founder of
Offa at the onset and how most of these towns paid homage to him. There was no indication that
he (founder of Offa) had to pay tribute or homage to anybody for the use of the land, and he did
not have to seek the consent of anyone to settle on the virgin land, except the Alafin of Oyo who
authorised him to occupy part of Ibolo Division with his people. He argues that, if Olalomi had
occupied a wrong land or was given land by any suburb towns to raise his home, he would have
been compelled to pay tribute (isakole) to his landlord. No suburb towns, including Erin-Ile, had
40
received isakole from the Olofa of Offa. Rather, the Olofa had received tribute from the suburb
towns in the past. The text is relevant in the analysis of the origin, migration and settlements of
Offa people. It puts in place the chronological events of how Offa was established by the founder
and the attraction the area gave to the people before the coming of the white men. The area had a
record of success in term of population growth in spite of the incessant wars of conquest it
experienced. The large concentration of people in Offa had contributed to her economic
development. This had placed the area (Offa) in better advantage for economic prosperity within
Ibolo Division up till 2008.
According to Nduka Otoni’s perspective as shown in his study, “Western Education and the
Nigerian Cultural Background”50, it was only the Christian Missionaries, as agents of
imperialism, who did not want the wealth of the Nigerian soil, not the fruits of her forest, nor any
portion of her soil. Instead, they only desired the conquest of Nigerian souls. He maintains that it
was an enterprise which was to result in certain degree of economic and social gains. Otoni
asserts that the advent of railway transport ushered in Christian Missionary activities in and
around Offa, which created mental revolution in the area. It was visible, and it was the major
agent of socialisation for the inhabitants to imbibe and accept other ways of life. The coming of
Christian missionaries laid the solid foundation for the establishment of many western schools
and created opportunities for many people to engage in all facets of economic activities, both at
home and abroad.
In Introduction to Political Economy51, Ukana B. Ikpe asserts that, it is clear that those who own
or control the means of production would not only control the society economically and
politically, but would also maintain an exploitative relationship with the people who do not have
control over the means of production. The same is applicable to societies where productive
41
forces have developed to advanced levels. He argues that they could easily subdue and dominate
societies with rudimentary development of productive forces. The author is of the view that this
type of control by one segment of the society, especially the developed society, amounts to
imperialism. The establishment of railway led to economic expansion. Also, the British colonial
government was made possible in Offa and Nigeria at large as a result of the indirect rule system
introduced by the British government. Among the measures adopted to enforce foreign rule was
introduction of stringent rules on economy and taxes.
T. G. O. Gbadamosi and J.F. Ade Ajayi in “Islam and Christianity in Nigeria”52, give chronicle
information about the introduction of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria. They opine that Islam
made a giant stride in the southern parts of the country in the nineteenth century. Before this
period, the authors maintain that there was some evidence of some Islamic “presence” in the
Yorubaland through the activities Islamic scholars in the area. However, the Muslims were
scattered and as such their political and social status were generally low. This weak position was
further shaken by the Jihad. This was prevalent in Offa through the Jihad movement led by
Alimi from Ilorin. Samuel Johnson’s assertion in another study also corroborates that further
acceptance of Islam in Yorubaland was not much due to the activities of the Ilorin horsemen who
were in the habit of kidnapping the caravans between Offa and Erin-Ile. This further weakens the
position of Islam in Offa53. The authors, however, maintain that with time, following the
extension of railway to Offa, and subsequent stability in the area, Islam became firmly rooted in
the area. Consequently, Muslims began to reconstitute themselves into Islamic communities,
which were founded in Offa and its environs in areas like Dundu and Popo.
Gbadamosi and Ajayi further maintain that it was in the same manner that Christianity came into
Yorubaland, but through Egba in 1864. The rosy picture the early Christian missionaries painted
42
about Abeokuta as their main gateway to Yorubaland and the regions beyond facilitated the
process. This resulted in the introduction of Christianity into various other Yoruba towns such as
Lagos, Ibadan, Ijaye, Oshogbo, and finally to Offa54. The authors’ analysis is very germane in the
analysis of the introduction and expansion of Islam and Christianity in Offa before and after the
construction of the rail line in Offa.
E. A. Ayandele, in External Relations with Europeans in the Nineteenth Century: Explorers,
Missionaries and Traders55, focuses on the characteristics of the successive groups who first
came as Europeans in Nigeria. This made Nigerians not to know the true identities and the
missions of the groups. However, by the end of the 19th century, Nigerian communities were to
realise that the wearer of the white skin, whom they at first pitied and looked upon with
contempt, was a superman who was bent on becoming their ruler. He came in three forms: as an
explorer, a missionary and a trader before he finally took over as the warlord. Ayandele
maintains that in these three forms, he did not disclose his imperial motives, but presented
himself as a friend. Thus, as an explorer, he proclaimed that he was the Nigerians’ best friend,
wishing to have knowledge of the country’s rivers and hills, or seeking more intensive and more
direct commercial relations with the interior people. As a missionary, he proclaimed that he
alone knew God, through whom the Whiteman had become superman, the maker of guns, which
could dispatch death from long distance; the sextant, the sundial, the umbrella, velvet cloths,
looking glasses, chairs, wrist watches and houses standing on water. As a trader, he presented
himself as a friend whose commercial aspirations were believed to be contemporary to those of
coastal Nigerians; a friend, who respected the rulers, who would not tamper with the culture of
the people, and who obeyed the instructions that he, should live off the Nigerian coast. Ayandele,
however states that finally, the White man became the arrogant overlord who, having rattled the
43
sabre, forced the so-called treaties on conquered Nigerians and converted Nigerians to unwilling
subjects and inferior citizens of the British Empire, which Offa was part for almost half a
century. The relevance of this assertion brought to the fore the antics of British colonial
government in Offa and how its system bastardised the culture of Offa, subjected the authority of
the king to second fiddle. The indigenes became domestic servants for the white as a result of
segregation. The control of trade by the local authority was taken away by the White (British).
This began the process of European domination in the area. Even the Christian faith was
allegedly manipulated by the colonial instruments to institute some elements of the European
culture
Effiong Daniel, in Imperialism and Dependency56, on the other hand, argues that the railway
played a crucial role in the exploitation of the human and material resources of the Nigerian
nation. The railway was not designed to benefit the Nigerian people but to facilitate the
expansion of British political and economic domination of the nation. However, this
generalization does not capture the specific exploitation of Offa town and its environs both in
human and resources. In nutshell, the work provides general insight about the effect of the
railway transport on the Nigerian economy, to which Offa belonged.
Anthony Danladi Ali, in Trade and Transport in The lower Niger 1830-201157, argues that the
development of railway transport in Nigeria by the colonial administration was basically for the
economic or commercial gains of the colonial government. This situation made the British
government to intensify efforts to extend the railway beyond Ibadan. It was for this reason that
Ommaney (a member of a committee constituted for railway construction in West Africa)
convinced the colonial treasury to pay half of Northern Nigeria’s share cost of construction.
Considering the argument between the colonial administrators at that time, one would be
44
convinced that the interest of the inhabitants of Offa was never considered at that time. The
author did mention that the whole idea was conceived on personal gains of the colonial master as
it were.
According to Ali, the lines were constructed to carry mineral and agricultural produce from the
north to the seaports as well as to transfer imported goods usually carried in bulk from the ports
to the hinterland. Such imported goods included, cement, fertilizer, food items, petroleum
products and others. Ali argues that in spite of these laudable services rendered to Nigeria at that
time, the corporation could not generate enough revenue to fund its overhead cost (including
payment of salaries). Among the reasons was that railway tracks constructed in Nigeria between
1910 and 1940 were single-lines and did not offer cheap means of rail transport as expected of
railways58. Even though the author gave the analysis of the reasons for the inability of the NRC
to live up to its responsibilities in general, the causes of the problems were not mentioned in the
study for proper clarification so as to know the challenges for the purpose of proffering solutions
required for the resuscitation of the railway in Nigeria in general. The contribution of
information provided by Ali’s work to our study cannot be undermined.
O. Omosini, in “The Background to Railway Policy in Nigeria”59, maintains that though the trade
in Lagos had been on a steady increase since Lagos became colony in 1861, it was optimistic that
the proposed railway line from Lagos to Abeokuta would be a commercial success, especially as
the proposed line was to pass through a region of a dense population rich in palm oil, palm
kernel, beniseed and cotton, besides corn and fruits. From Abeokuta the proposed line passed
through Ilorin to Lokoja, Bussa and to the Upper Niger. However, Omosini did not go further to
discuss Offa as a major station in the region, since attention was focused on Ilorin and Lokoja.
Similarly, even though the work made significant contributions to the economy of the rail
45
transport within Kwara, Offa as a major town in the area under study with terminus serving the
whole areas, has not been thoroughly analysed by the work.
Another relevant work for this study is R. Olufemi Ekundare’s work, An Economic History of
Nigeria 1860-196060. Ekundare enumerates the problems faced by railway transport passengers,
prominent among which include snail-speed by trains. According to him, most of the railway
engines used in Nigeria were ‘secondhand’ engines bought from Britain. They broke down
frequently, causing delay in journeys, and the fact that the railways provided no canteen facilities
increased the discomfort of the passengers.
Ekundare asserts further that the railway tracks, which were laid on the wood sleepers, were
often eaten away by white ants, thus increasing the hazards of travelling by rail. Again, the
torrential rain often washed away the rail tracks, halting trains’ journeys for several days. The
railway provided limited travelling facilities for those who could afford the charges and for those
who were fortunate enough to have the lines running through or near their towns or villages. 61
However, many had their homes too far away from the nearest railway stations and had to rely
on the inland waterways, where they existed, and on the roads, which soon became a serious
challenge to the railway. The author treats the ugly experiences of the passengers in places such
as Lagos and Abeokuta where waterways were available for travellers. In the case of Offa, the
only available means of transport was road. However, the discomfort of travellers was not given
adequate attention in the work. Ekundare62 notes that the railway workshops established at the
main termini (in Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt) provided limited facilities for the
maintenance of mechanical plants and rolling stocks. Such workshops also provided some
technical training for Nigerians who were employed as technical staff there. He gave an analysis
of the railway corporation as an organisation with a large number of employees with staff
46
strength of 18,086 in 1938 and an increment to 18,844 in 1938. He, however, lamented that
about 60 per cent of the employees were labourers63.
One of the weaknesses of Ekundare’s study is first and foremost over generalisation about the
total figure of railway staff in Nigeria without mentioning actual figure employed in each station
or terminus like Offa. Also, the details of employment up to the period under study were not
captured. Nonetheless, the work has contributed to our understanding of the general massive
recruitment of Nigerians in the railway sector. For instance, he states that as at the period Offa
and Enugu were the only termini in Nigeria, which had Sleeppers Engine with certain number of
experts using these two machines (see appendix I). The author failed to recognise that Offa had
the same machine which was important equipment that usually drew the attention of railway
workers to Offa whenever the need arose.
H.P. White and M.B. Gleave, in An Economic Geography of West Africa64, although only briefly
discuss railway transport in their work, the brief analysis is important because it focuses on the
speed of trains in advanced countries. Comparatively, they state that the time spent on journey by
railway transport in Nigeria was too much because of the general slow speed of the railway
system in the country. In spite of this, they lament that the cost of freight charges grew steadily
from 1945 to 1965. The authors assert that the slow pace of journeys by different categories of
rail transport couple with increase in freight charges made travelling by rail boring. However, the
authors failed to proffer solution on how to make it more attractive and user-friendly. They only
focus attention on the speed of trains in developed nations.
Toyin Falola, in his work, Britain and Nigeria: Exploitation or Development?65, captures not
only the efforts made by Lord Lugard to build a mule-road from Zungeru to Zaria, and to
47
Sokoto, Katsina and Maiduguri, but also states the reason for the project. However, with the
authorization of the Baro-Kano railway line in 1907, the cart-road which began in 1904 was
abandoned at Tegina, 32 kilometres north of Zungeru. With the completion of the Baro-Kano
railway in 1910, government’s attention was turned to the Zungeru-Zaria road, which was
eventually completed in 1914. According to him, the chief motive for the construction of the
mule-road was to reduce the strain thrown on the inland provinces in the provision of porters for
the British officials. In the South where draught animals could not be used owing to the Tsetse
fly, motorable roads were constructed. The first motorable road in Nigeria was built in 1906
from Oyo to Ibadan, and it was linked to the railways by a railway-operated road transport
service. This was followed by similar services from Osogbo to Ife, Ilesa, Ogbomoso, and Ede to
Iwo66. All these roads were built to create easy access to convey bulk loads to railway stations.
Even though as important as Offa station was then, the author did not mention the road built by
the colonial administration in 1911 to link Offa and the surrounding communities.
In “The Effect of Railway Construction on The Growth of Export Agriculture; The Nigerian
Experience”67, Remy N. Onyewuenyi highlights the impetus the establishment of railway
transport had on Idogo. According to him, “Idogo has been in existence before the advent of
railway transport, the coming of railway transport in 1930 contributed immensely to the
economic activities of Idogo town”. The commissioning of the railway line in 1930 ushered in a
steady growth in the socio-economic development of all affected communities such as Idogo,
Ifo, Arigbo and Abalabi which produced cocoa, coffee, tomatoes, pepper, yam and cassava.
However, since the discontinuation of service by the Lagos-Ilaro railway line, the surrounding
communities have remained a shadow of their former glory.
48
The writer used Idogo community as a case study. Similar experiences could be found in Offa
and its environs since the discontinuation of railway services at Offa. Remy draws attention to
the location and spacing of the stations. He argues that it was determined primarily by the
population density and the productivity of the areas they served. There is a strong relationship
between population density and the heavily cultivated areas. In the north, settlements started
around the developed spots and have continued to grow from there. The heavily cultivated and
densely populated zone of Zaria had a great number and more closely spaced stations than
Kaduna and Jebba areas.
In the populated “Middle Belt” of Nigeria, the cocoa and palm belt sections between Offa and
Lagos show high concentration of collecting stations68. The provision and distribution of
collecting centres enabled more farmers in various parts of the country to reach national and
international markets more effectively. The direct access to markets provided the hope of
realising better prices for their products, which induced them to produce more goods. The author
narrows his argument to Ogun State alone. In this context, this research work looks at the
benefits of the terminus in Offa to the farmers and the contribution it made to connect both local
and international markets in terms of farm produce supply.
Saad Yusuf Omoiya in his work, The Location of Economic Potentials of a Frontier Community
in Nigeria: An Export on Ilorin In The 20th Century69, sees the importance of railway terminus in
Offa as a strategic point for the administration of the railway transport not only in Offa but to
Kwara State in general. According to him, the Ilorin people objected to siting of the terminus in
Ilorin due to their experience with telegraphs workers who abducted peoples’ wives and female
children. The railway station (terminus) was eventually shifted to Offa. Even though the author
highlights the problems the Ilorin people encountered in an attempt to build infrastructure and
49
the magnanimity of the Offa people in accepting such projects, he fails to enumerate the
advantages and disadvantages of the railway terminus to Offa people and their neighbours.
Shehu T. Yusuf, in “The Incidence of Theft of Railway Metal in Colonial Northern Nigeria”70,
talks about the theft and vandalization of equipment at railway stations as well as inadequate
policing of the rail lines. He attributes the development to inadequate number of police personnel
to effectively protect railway station equipment and the lines. While he maintains that by 1919,
the Northern Nigeria wing of the NRC had only 56 railway police, while the railway line
between Offa and Jebba had only 10 police personnel deployed to keep vigil.
The revelation by Yusuf is a pointer to how even the colonial administration which benefited
immensely from the railway transport was adamant in providing the security needed in the
railway stations, and along the rail lines. This attitude, according to the author, explains why
much pressure was mounted on the Native Authority Police to carry out extra duties meant for
the railway police. The scenario shows that the gradual or eventual neglect of the railway
transport sector started right from the colonial regime. The work could not, however, give details
of ordeals of passengers along the routes at that particular time, especially between Erin-Ile, Offa
and Ijagbo. Full investigation should be conducted to clearly unravel the experiences of railway
passengers along the Offa route.
Ubwa Hilary Ageva’s article entitled “Social and Cultural Change in Nigeria71, talks about the
dynamism of human cultures. According to him, all societies and all cultures are constantly
changing, some rapidly and some slowly. But while some societies and cultures have changed so
little that one could look back a thousand years and notice little difference, others have changed
so rapidly that people benefit within a single life-time. In his belief, in social change, there is a
50
technical difference between social change and cultural change. Social change here refers to a
change in social structure and social relationships, for instance, in status system, population,
distribution, power system organisations among others while cultural change refers to change in
the culture of a society. Such has to do with its norms, values, technology, arts, literature,
language among others
The general concept used by Ageva to explain social and cultural changes symbolised
development in Offa during and after the establishment of railway transport in Offa. Even
though the Europeans saw the railway transport solely as a means used to establish an efficient
transportation network to facilitate the exploitation of African territories, the coming of railway
was a social change that was in vogue at that particular time. The Europeans see railway as a
mode of transport that has been used to annex the economy of various interests in their domains
at that time. However, railway transport was one of the tools for globalisation which altered the
norms and values of the inhabitants in the affected communities because movement from one
location to the other led to cultural exchanges. The area under study was equally affected by the
establishment of the railway system because it disrupted established patterns and undermined the
authority of the traditional rulers and created new conditions which the traditional rulers did not
control in Offa then. However, the author did not analyse the issue in the context of Offa
traditional values, he rather uses general terminology which corroborates the experiences of Offa
people during and after the establishment of railway transport in the area.
Lastly, in The Colonial Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: An Analysis of the Historical
Role of Railways as a Factor in National Integration and Nation-Building by John Ebute Agaba
says Lugard summed the material development of the colonies in one word- transport. The socio-
political and economic development of the culturally variegated peoples hinged upon the
51
development of an efficient transport system. This was the case in the study area, the
development of Offa hinged on one important aspect, which is extension of the railway transport.
Without rail transport, it is difficult, if not impossible to transform a subsistence economy into a
market economy in which specialisation and exchange take place. In Offa railway transport has
therefore been described as the formative power of special contact, it also enhances territorial
and technological specialisation. The technological specialisation was made possible as a result
of modern technology introduced by the railway authority in the study area72.
The author explains further that while the railways development in the western world were
geared towards meeting the socio-economic needs of those citizens, the structure and the
direction of Nigerian Railway were determined by the economic and political interest of the
British colonial government. Its aim was to evacuate raw materials from the hinterland to the
coastal area for onward transmission to Britain. This turned Nigeria particularly the study area to
mere collection centre for cash crops and distribution of European products.
The extension of railway transport enhanced inter-group trade, it reduced the barrier of
boundaries, which was the mainstay before the establishment railway transport. The work also
explains how administrative and commercial centres enjoyed great patronage by different groups
through the extension of railway system, which thus study area (Offa) benefited greatly. In view
of the foregoing, other traditional centres such as Oyo, Ogbomoso, Katsina, Borno and Calabar
were relegated to the background because railway line did pass through the places.
The work analyses how hundred immigrants from Southern Nigeria and neighbouring areas such
as Nupe, Idoma, Igala and Tiv moved to Kaduna, Kano and Zaria in search of employment
opportunities on the railways. This situation was the case of the adjoining communities in Offa.
The neighbouring communities like Ira, Erin-Ile, Ipee, Ijagbo, Igbona, Ajase, Oro, Omu-Aran
52
and Ekosin tapped from the railway employment in Offa. Railway transport has helped the
spread of western education in Nigeria, the railway became the vehicle for the free movement of
peoples for commerce. It remains the only colonial institution which promoted inter-ethnic
contact among the people of Nigeria73. This is a significant issue that led to the development of
the study area. Because the study area enjoyed early contact of white men and trained experts
who contributed immensely to growth and development of Offa. The work gives analysis of the
importance of railway to Offa people in term of employment opportunity and socio-political
development. Moreso, it has helped in providing critical analysis studies on railway network in
Nigeria.
2.5 Conceptual Perspectives and Theoretical Framework
This section clarifies concept of development and attempts to analyze the theories used for study.
The theories used are “Vent-for-surplus” and “modernisation” as guides in the study. This is very
important because, the establishment of railway transport in Offa marked the beginning of a new
phase of development among the people as part of the global system or network.
The use of relevant theories in research is important for proper understanding. Thomas Jekins
asserts that a theory about anything is an abstracted generalization74. Stanley Hoffman says
theory is a systematic study of observable phenomena that try to discover the principal variables,
to explain the behaviour and to reveal the characteristic types of relations among individuals or
national units. Dougherty and Pfaltzgraff also describe a theory as an intelligible system of
enquiry, which enables us to organise and offer a guide for the achievement of research
objective(s)75. In other words, a theory is a way of organising our knowledge so that we can ask
questions worth answering guide our research towards valid answers and integrate our
knowledge with that of related fields76. Below are concise review of three different theories that
53
are not only relevant to our study, but would serve as guide to the achievement of our research
objectives,, especially in the area of providing inputs for the development of the railway
transport in Offa and Nigeria at large. However, modernisation and development go hand in hand
in the analysis because modernisation serves as catalyst to the development. In view of this, the
concept of development is analysed for clear understanding of the theories adopted in the study.
Development
The use of the term development emerged in the United State of America in the 1940s. The term
is important to American foreign policy. It was adopted in the foreign policy to shape the future
of the newly independent states in ways that American government would ensure that such states
would not be drawn into the Soviet bloc77. To ensure that this concept succeed, the United States
government enlisted its social scientists to study and devise ways of promoting capitalist
economic development and political stability in what was termed the developing world.
Since that period, there are different conceptions of development and, consequently, disparate
approaches to the subject. However, all approaches are concerned with the relationship between
the development and governance. Most development theories equate development with national
economic growth and see the state as its primary agent. In this light, the economic growth of
Offa lies in the establishment of railway transport, which ushered in new socio-economic and
political system in the area. The various attempts to define the concept of development have
generated different opinions. Consequently, the term development means different things to
different people as reflected below.
54
Everett Rogers defines development as:
a type of society change in which new ideas are introduced into a social
system in order to produce higher per capita income and level of living
through more modern production methods and improved social
organization78.
This definition is descriptive rather than definitive because it explains the new idea introduced to
Offa in 1907, which changed the traditional system of the area. It emphasises on the kind of
change that tends to occur in any society whenever a new idea is introduced.
Offiong states that “development results from people’s frontal attack in the oppression, poverty
and exploitation that are meted out to them by the dominant classes and their system”79. In line
with this definition, P. D Johnnie draws attention to the level of underdevelopment, poverty,
unemployment, and inequality80, which was so pronounced before the coming of the railway
transport in Offa.
Also, James D. Cockrift, A.G Frank and D. L. Johnson assert that:
Development is the coincidence of structural change and liberation of men from
exploitation and oppression perpetuated by the international capitalist bourgeoisie
and internal collaborators81.
The assertion of these authors portrays the negative side of the British colonial government in the
establishment of the railway transport in Offa as an exploitative act to rub the Offa people of their
natural resources, since the aim of establishing the railway transport was to have access to the
hinterland for the material gains of the British colonial government. This definition describes the
character of the British colonial government in its quest for mineral resources rather than
developmental issues in Offa and Nigeria at large. Although, the study area does not have peculiar
and important mineral resources, its railway terminus at Offa was used as a collection point to
55
evacuate cash crops within the central region of Nigeria to the coastal area for onward transfer to
Europe.
In a related perspective, Cockrift, et al, go further to attempt an introductory the concept “real
development” when they assert that:
Real development involves a structural transformation of the economy, societal
polity and culture of the state that permits the self-generating and self-
perpetuating use and development of the people’s potentials82.
These definitions appear to have achieved considerable acceptance. More importantly, the
attempts to justify what development is about connote more meaningful and deeper
understanding of the term development to different people. While the former definition justifies
the position of international capitalist bourgeoisie and internal collaborators, the later explains
the involvement of the local people in the development. This connotes the involvement of Offa
people in the activities of railway transport which brought changes to Offa in infrastructural
development.
Rodney sees “development in human society as a many sided process”83. At the level of the
individual, it implies skill and capacity, greater freedom, creativity, self-discipline, responsibility
and material well-being. This definition is rather descriptive than definitive as it only mentions
development from the human angle without necessarily mentioning structural changes that go
with development as highlighted by Michael Torado thus:
development’ is one of the most widely used terms, and it is widely believed that
the new nations may be able to develop their economies at some time in the not-
too-distant future so as to improve their national standard of living. The word
development represents in this context the idea of methods being found to fulfill
56
the aspirations of a nation, group or state, in theoretical terms the idea of
development been closely connected with the idea of progress84.
Progress was the favourite eighteenth century term for fundamental liberal belief that man
could, by his own efforts, achieve self-improvement. In view of this, development connotes the
ability of a few-privileged protecting and accommodating the interest of vast majority who are
less privileged in the society. Development for-all creates enabling environment for the high,
middle and low classes to have peaceful and good conduct of life for co-existence. On this note,
one could agree that these attributes were the benefits derived by Offa people when the railway
transport was in full operation in Nigeria.
Furthermore, Todaro says:
Development traditionally means the capacity of a national economy whose initial
economic condition has been more or less static for a long time, to generate and
sustain an annual increase in its Gross National Production (GNP) at rates of 5%
to 7% or more85.
To him, economic development should be seen in terms of the planned alteration of the structure
of production and employment which was the case during the construction of railway transport
across Offa. Railway system altered existing mode of transport and increased agricultural
production for exportation.
Torado equally looks at development as a multidimensional process, involving major changes in
social structures, peoples’ attitudes and national institutions, as well as the acceleration of
economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of poverty86. Of course, poverty
reduced drastically when people had access to education and commercial activities through the
establishment of railway transport in Offa. Although as people derived benefits on one hand, it
57
equally brought the moral values of the Offa people to disrepute. Actually, the sanctity of
cultural values was no longer kept as it were before the advent of railway transport.
In a nut shell, development is a multi-dimensional process involving major changes in social
structure acceleration of economic growth, as well as the reduction of poverty. Worthy of note
here is that, development must represent the whole gamut of change by which an entire social
system moves away from a condition of life towards a materially and spiritually “better” one87.
The introduction of new architectural designs of building in Offa followed the introduction of the
railway transport in the area. Thus, it means that architectural improvement came directly to Offa
through railway transport scheme. This was manifested in the offices and residences constructed
for the railway workers around the railway station in Offa. It was a major shift from traditional
architecture to modern architecture in Offa.
In view of the foregoing definitions of development, it therefore becomes easier to discuss and
understand the type of development witnessed by the people at the time the railway transport was
established in 1907. In spite of their weaknesses, the definitions give an in depth understanding
of the meaning and the basic features or components of the term ‘development’.
2.5. 1 The Vent-for-Surplus Theory
The Vent-for-Surplus theory as it relates to development of the rail transport was first mentioned
by classical economists such as Adam Smith and popularized by J.S Mill over half a century
later. It has been noted that in 1958, the Burmese economist, Hla Myint, introduced the concept
of “Vent-for-Surplus” to explain the rapid expansion of export in certain sparsely populated
developing countries during the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries88.
58
The empirical study of “Vent-for-Surplus” could serve to enhance our understanding of some of
the important elements of economic development such as the processes by which the “Surplus
Capacity” came to be realised as exports. In this study, it is argued that the phenomenal
expansion of the railway transport to Offa in Nigeria in 1907 could best be explained in terms of
“Vent-for-Surplus”.
The Vent-for-Surplus model is used to explain the rapid expansion in export crops production
that took place in the northern part of Nigeria between 1912 and 1960. It is shown that the
growth in export production was achieved at very little expense as a result of railway line
construction across Nigeria. It increased the use of land and labour resources. Institutionalisation
of the railway transport in Nigeria, which Offa benefited from, played a major role in realising
growth potentials, which serves as catalyst to moderniastion. The increased demand for Offa
potato, yam and other cash crops production resulted from the establishment of railway transport.
The villages and hamlets surrounding Offa such as Ilemona, Erin-Ile, Igbana, Igosun, Ijagbo,
Ipee and Ira recorded tremendous increments in the production of yam, which led to the
introduction of tax levy on farm products by the colonial authority89. The coming of railway
transport encouraged foreign and domestic entrepreneurs to invest in the development of Offa
and its environs.
Before the development of international trade, it could be justifiably argued that Offa was
completely isolated from international community, and the economic activities in Offa and
nearby communities were locally based. However, the advent of the railway linked the area to
international trade providing the eventual “vent” for this surplus; it opened the trade in Offa to
international standard because of the availability of railway transport system from the coast to
the hinterland.
59
The Vent-for –Surplus theory describes the benefits of low transport cost in an economy. An area
is isolated by high transport cost in both internal and external trades. The area has a potential
surplus capacity for output owing to the existence of underemployed factors of production due to
inability to move goods and services constantly90. J.S. Hogendon elaborates on theory of Vent-
for Surplus, by saying that groundnut was given an unprecedented attention in Northern Nigeria
when Lagos-Kano railway line was opened in 1912. The system of buying and selling of
groundnut received a boost after the establishment of the railway transport. The availability of
labour force was relatively large; nuts could be inter-planted with food crops or alone on the
great tracts of unused land in the Kano Emirate91.
Economic development, as it was popularized by Joseph Schumpeter, could be used to analyze
Vent-for Surplus model as he describes:
Eonomic development played a key role in the introduction of new goods, new
method of production, opening of a new market, the discovery of a new source of
supply of raw materials or semi-manufactured goods and introduction of a new
organization in an industry92.
The discoveries of a new source of supply of needed raw materials were made possible through
the use of the railway transport. This precipitated the ability of respective communities in the
area to control the productive forces of their environment for the purpose of solving the problems
imposed on them by nature.
Kim Kyong Dong also says that economic development is linked to social transformation, which
is basically aimed at a more egalitarian distribution of social goods in the society. These goods
include education, housing, health services, electricity and participation in decision making,
which could enhance the better living condition of people93. The participation of inhabitants in
60
the development of railway at Offa brought rapid change in all facets of life as at the time of
construction and completion. It gave the Offa people great opportunity to interact and negotiate
trade and social activities beyond the shore of Nigeria. The demand in various commodities also
led to the expansion of towns and villages around Offa. Thus, other forms of government became
inevitable, having used railway to penetrate the hinterland and also establish foreign rule on the
local indigenes. Inter-group relations through railway brought different ways of economic
interactions which led to the establishment of colonisation. The exit of colonial administration
completely altered the system of government in Nigeria. Democratic institutions were
established and democracy became part of Nigeria. Offa could not be exonerated from the
system as an integral part of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, as economic activities in Offa were rapidly moving steadily, the establishment of
foreign rule by the agents of colonial masters was gaining ground at the same time for the benefit
of the British colonial government94. Rule of force eventually led to acceptability of democracy
as a way of governing people in Nigeria at large. Traditional institutions were relegated to the
background. On this note, the cultural values of each of Nigerian ethnic started waning and
attention was diverted to development at the expense of social values.
In view of the foregoing, the use of the “Vent-for-Surplus theory” in this study explains the rapid
expansion of export in certain sparsely populated area such as Offa, and brought about
development as main concept of modernisation. The development of the railway transport led to
modernisation in all facets of life in the study area. Increase in export commodities as a result of
railway transport was an indication of development as an aspect of concept of the of Vent-for-
surplus theory. This led to massive development in agricultural sector and other activities in Offa
61
and Nigeria at large. This shows how relevant the use of modernization theory is important in the
study.
2. 5. 2 Modernisation Theory
Modernisation Theory is an aspect of economic development, which was articulated in the
1950s. Lerner Schram, Rogers and Marquis de Condocret were among those involved in the
formulation of this theory95. The earliest principle of modernisation theory is derived from the
idea of progress which stated that people could develop and change their societies themselves.
Modernization theory is a grand theory encompassing many different disciplines and seeks to
explain how society progresses, the variables that affect progress and how societies can react to
progress. It was used to explain the causes of development and underdevelopment and to present
options for the developing nations seeking economic advancement.
Modernization theory focuses specifically on the type of modernisation thought to have
originated in Europe during the 17th century which brought social mores and technological
advancement96. Development depends primarily on the importation of technology as well as a
number of other political and social changes believed to come about as a result of modernization.
For instance, modernisation involves increased level of schooling, development of transportation
and communication and it becomes increasingly sophisticated and assessable; populations
become more urban and mobile97.
This was the change that the discovery of railway transport brought when Britain discovered the
use of railway as a modern means of transport to convey bulky goods at cheaper costs. The use
of rail transport for the public, which started after the advent of the steam engine and its mobile
form was a plus to technological advancement in Britain. While the advent of railway transport
62
brought economic growth and industrial revolution in European countries, in similar vein,
railway transport brought economic change to Offa. Its advent also made changes in moral and
cultural values inevitable at that particular period.
Several criticisms have been leveled against the Modernisation school of thought by
underdevelopment and dependence theorists98. The theory of Modernisation is criticised because
it fails to consider the poor as the centerpiece of poverty reduction initiatives; it fails to construct
adequate notions of both causal power of social structures and the role of human agency in
shaping social relations in general. The critiques of Modernisation theory are summarized as
follows:
i. Modernisation is an oversimplified view of social change. Human nature has a
propensity to resist change, which brings in elements of uncertainty;
ii. modernisation is based on deterministic reason, which states that within the linear
model of socio-economic development changes are initiated externally. The premise
encourages the foreign power to prescribe the route to Africa’s development;
iii. modernisation is associated with development aid from the developed countries.
However, this relation tends to benefit the metropolitan states more than the recipient
countries (Nigeria), which Offa is an integral part; and
iv. modernization impoverishes and stagnates the development process in Africa because
it fails to recognise the creativity and initiative of the Africans. The theory
emphasises supremacy of this metropolis (developed countries) that altered Africa’s
superstructure of beliefs and value system99.
63
These assertions are the arguments against the theory of modernisation. However, the thrust of
the argument in this dissertation is to harp on the strength of the approach so as to highlight its
salient points that are useful in this research work. The modernisation school of thought draws
attention to the importance of leadership as a necessary tool, which gives purposeful leadership
and the determination to succeed against all odds. This was the kind of leadership that British
colonial government provided to West Africa through the railway transport to harness the
resources of the hinterland for their own interest.
Modernisation incorporates the full spectrum of the transition and drastic transformation that a
traditional society has to undergo in order to become modern. Modernisation connotes policies
intended to raise the standard of living of the poor. This often consists of disseminating
knowledge and information about more efficient techniques of production such as transport
modernisation which aids agriculture. In agriculture, modernisation farmers are encouraged to
try new crops, new production methods, new marketing skills, introduction of hybrids (the green
house technology), genetically modified food and application of other scientific knowledge to
replace the traditional one100. These are the strengths derived from modernization by Offa people
through the establishment of the railway transport which introduced new methods of carrying
people, goods and services. It equally transformed the agricultural sector through the use of new
technology and new methods of cultivation.
Surprisingly, modernisation theory contributed immensely to the decline of extended family
system under the study area. It is also noted to have contributed immensely in the general
relegation of traditional values in Offa to the background. This is because of acceptance of new
innovations alien to the culture of the area. These events show some aspects of the negativity of
Modernization theory on Offa cultural values. This explains why Samuel Huntington’s assertion
64
in modernisation involves urbanisation, industrialisation, technological improvement, changes in
values and attitudes. Huntington says that a state advances when it is able to penetrate its
economy with innovative policies101. This was the effort of the British authority during the
colonial rule when the railway transport was established in Offa and Nigeria at large.
In a nutshell, Modernization theory is most suitable for this thesis as it connotes innovation. It
explains how society progresses, the variables that affect progress and how society reacts to
progress. Offa people reacted positively to the extension of railway transport by providing
enough land to accommodate the architectural plans of British colonial government who brought
the railway transport to the area. The theory explains the introduction of new technology, which
brought development to Nigeria, particularly Offa. This was because the coming of railway
transport brought innovation to socio-economic development of Offa and its environs in the
following areas: building of schools, churches, establishment of modern market, modern houses.
The inability of the Nigerian government to modernise and develop the railway transport could
be a major factor responsible for inadequacy in the economy of the country. Generally, it is
evident that modernisation brings innovation, which leads to development in the society.
2.6 Conclusion
The chapter has provided a review of existing works on railway transport system particularly in
Nigeria. It is important to state that the review of related literature essentially captures significant
issues on the railway transport in Offa and its environs. Under literature review, the significance
of the railway transport in Africa has shown the interest and passion exhibited by the British
government on the railway transport in Africa, which covers the area of study. The industrial
revolution that precipitated the action of the British colonial government is carefully analysed.
65
The analysis captures the role of railway transport in economic development of Africa, and
exploitation of the continent at the same time. The opinion of different scholars is well captured
for critical analysis. While some see the establishment of railway transport system as a good
development, to some, it is an instrument of exploitation. The civilization brought by the railway
adulterated the culture of Offa as an integral part of Africa.
The second aspect of the review discusses railway transport and agricultural development in
Nigeria. This brought to the fore, the main objective of British colonial government policy in
Nigeria on agricultural produces. While railway transport serves as the technology that
developed agriculture and also linked the country with outside world, it equally serves as
vanguard for administrative change in Nigeria. The British had opportunity to penetrate the
hinterland, which led to the amalgamation of the territory known as Niger area into a single
entity known as Nigeria. The traditional values of Nigeria were subjected to the whim and
caprices of the foreign body.
The last part of the literature review focuses on Offa economy and society. It analyses the
background of Offa economy before the advent of railway transport and position of the economy
after the establishment of railway transport. This has really brought to the fore the importance of
railway transport to Nigeria, especially Offa people. To understand the good, bad and ugly sides
of railway transport in Offa, the study area is fully examined in terms of cultural beliefs before
the railway transport was established, and how the extension of railway transport to Offa has
affected the society. Although some texts reviewed are not specific about the study area, there
are some related issues to the study area. The lacuna in some of these texts is that the authors
focused more on subjects treated in their works, which are not very specific about the study area.
66
In this light, the issues are carefully analysed and adequate information has been provided on
Offa, particularly in the area of railway transport and development in the area.
The concept and theories used in the work are relevant in the study of railway transport and
development in Offa. The concept of development and theories are vent-for-surplus and
“modernization” theories. Modernisation is a rallying point in developmental discourse because
it focuses more on innovation which leads to improvement in any society particularly in the
study area.
67
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75
CAHAPTER THREE
GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF OFFA BEFORE THE
ADVENT OF THE RAILWAY TRANSPORT IN 1907
3.1 Introduction
This chapter discusses the settlement, geography and historical background of before the
construction of rail line in Offa. Also, it provides an overview of the people occupying the area.
The good climatic condition of Offa, which endears it to foreigners, is also brought into focus.
Thus, it is an attempt to provide comprehensive historical background of Offa from the earliest
time up to 1907 when the construction of railway line began in the area1. This provides
comprehensive information about how Offa people struggled from the inception of their
settlement up to 1907 when they had first contact with the Europeans.
The chapter equally highlights the efforts made by the founder of Offa, Olalomi Olofagangan, to
establish a formidable town, which served as a reference point for the successive kings
irrespective of persecution faced by the attackers2. The consciousness and vision by the
successive kings to succeed helped the eighth king, Olugbense, to lay the foundation of the
development in 1726 when the first road was constructed through communal effort. This served
as the foundation for Oyeniran Ariwajoye when he came to the throne in 1906, a year before the
establishment of railway transport.
76
The chapter equally unveils the achievements of successive kings towards the establishment of
railway transport and how faith and commitments to the laid down principles by the founder kept
the people going until the present location of Offa was established. More importantly, the
analysis of the historical background of the area is aimed at explaining the efforts made by the
successive kings and the important developments witnessed in Offa before 1907. Certainly, Offa
is regarded as the second largest town in Kwara State after Ilorin, the state capital. Evidence of
this claim is fully analysed with actual figure of Offa people based on the 2006 population
census in Nigeria3.
The people of Offa have a local government area without any town under its authority, except
few villages belonging to Offa people, which have remained under its control. To show the
quality of economic activities in Offa before the advent of British colonial government,
categories of economic activities known with Offa people are fully examined and analysed. The
analysis gives clear understanding of where the Offa people were before the introduction and
development of railway transport in the area in 1907.
3.2 The Geographical Location of Offa in Kwara State
Offa is located on the south-east of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The town is situated on
longitude 50o East and latitude 80o North. Offa is bounded to the south by Ijagbo; to the north by
Erin-Ile; to the east by Ira; and to the west by Ipee4. It is about 56 kilometres from Ilorin, 20
kilometres away from Ira, and also, about 3 kilometres from Erin- Ile. There is no clear cut
boundary between Ijagbo and Offa because houses are built on both sides5. Demarcation could
be ascertained through signposts and statutory papers endorsed by the Ministry of Land and
Survey for clear boundary demarcation between the two communities.
77
Offa is situated on a gentle plateau of about 1,429 feet (408.9m) above sea level. It has, indeed,
been aptly described as a watershed between the Ogun-Osun River Basin and Niger Basin. It is
also situated 215 miles (344km) on the south-west (SW) rail line from Lagos6. It is regarded,
geographically, as a “gap town” and has been a major Railway Depot Station since 1956 when
the railway station was upgraded from corrugated iron sheet building to a full-fledged office.
Offa is regarded as a gateway to the old northern region of Nigeria.
The climate in Offa is divided into two seasons the rainy season, characterised by heavy
rainfalls, which usually start from April and end in October, with little showers to mark the end
of the rains in early November and the dry season characterized by excessive sunshine, leading to
the hot and dry climatic conditions in the area. It usually starts in late November and ends in
March7.
Offa, the headquarters of Offa Local Government, is one of the 16 Local Government Areas in
Kwara State. The vegetation in Offa is savanna grassland and the town is noted for its weaving
and dyeing trade, using vegetable dyes made from locally grown indigo and other plants. Offa is
well known for the cultivation of sweet potatoes and maize, which also form part of the favourite
staple foods of the indigenes in the town8.
The population estimate of Offa as at 2006 population census is 87, 975. The Offa people speak
the Ibolo dialect of the Yoruba language9. The Ibolo area where Offa is located lies to the south-
east of the Ekun-Osi towns as far down as Ede with Iresa, being the chief town. The other towns
in Offa area are: Oyan, Okuku, Ido, Ilobu and Ejigbo10. The map below shows geographical
location of Offa in Kwara State.
78
Map of Offa in Kwara State
79
Source: Designed by researcher on 12th October, 2016
3.3 A Brief Historical Background of Offa from 1350 to 1907
80
The origin of Offa town is traced to a man called Olalomi Odede. He was a prince at Ile-Ife. He
migrated to Oyo-Ile because of succession disputes with his sibling. Oyo-Ile was founded by
Oranmiyan, the strongest son of Oduduwa. After his long stay in Oyo-Ile, he migrated to a place
known as Maika, near Ira town. Kingship dispute marked his exit from Oyo in search of a new
land where he could hunt and settle down with his people without any molestation11. In about
1350 AD, Olalomi Odede, also known as Olalomi Olofagangan got to the place called Miaka in
company of his sympathizers and with royal emblems, where he founded Offa town12. Olalomi-
Olofagangan, was a brave hunter who used bow and arrow as his major hunting weapons. It was
as a result of his proficiency in the use of bow and arrow for hunting that he was nicknamed
“Olofagangan”, which was later transformed to Offa, and which later became the name of the
town13.
Thereafter, Olalomi Olofagangan proceeded to Ilofa, which he later abandoned for greener
pasture to Offa-Oro. Incessant warfare and attacks from far and near forced him and his
followers out of Offa-Oro to Offa-Iresse. Similarly, constant attacks from the Nupe (Tapa)
forced him to relocate to Offa-Ikosi, near the present town of Ilemona. In the course of searching
for a more suitable location, he moved to Offa-Esun, a place not far from Ira town. The series of
persecutions that Olofagangan suffered from his attackers made him to relocate from one point to
the other, especially when he settled at Offa-Igboolotu. Finally, he moved to Offa-Esun where he
died in 1448 after he had successfully established a formidable community, which was duly
recognised and known as Offa within the area.
The first person to ascend to the throne of leadership in Offa was Olofagangan. After his death,
the son of Olutide succeeded him as the king of Offa14. His administration provided immense
opportunities for different people from far and near to relocate to Offa as their new abode. He
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fought vigorously to gain the control of Offa-Eesun, which was captured by the Nupe warriors.
He (Olutide) died in 1491 and was succeeded by his younger brother, Olugeshinde, who took
over the mantle of leadership and his tenure was marred by series of wars. He surrendered the
Offa-Eesun to the military might of the Nupes and escaped with his people to Offa-Igboolotu,
where he established a new Offa settlement. He died in 1526, and his brother, Oluwole15.
According to available evidences, Oluwole took his people back to Offa-Eesun after he brought
his father’s corpse back to Offa-Eesun for burial. After this second settlement, mysterious rats
covered the whole town and people began to run away from there. The first set of people to run
away from Offa-Eesun was called “Asa lofa”, which means we ran away from Offa. The
compound is called Asalofa in Offa. Then, Asalofa compound was the only custodian of the
oracle that must be consulted before a new king would mount the throne of king in Offa. After
this ugly incident, Oluwole led his people back to Offa-Igboolotu, where he finally died in 1567
and Okunmolu emerged as the next king16.
It is believed that after staying at Offa-Esun for a while, Oluwole led his people back to Offa-
Igboolotu where he died in 1567 and was succeeded by Okunmolu who ruled from 1567 – 1624.
It was during his reign that the people had to go to Offa-Igbo-Oro for farming. The area is about
a hundred metres away from Offa railway terminus. Before then, large concentration of wild
animals in the area did not allow people to have good harvest from their farms as a result of the
disturbances and the destructions usually caused by the animals. The ugly incident that chased
people out of Offa-Eesun resurfaced at Igbo-Oro. This was the mysterious rat, which caused
them to relocate to a place where the king’s palace is located. They usually used Oro (bull
whizzer) to chase the animals away from the area. The area is known as Igbo-Oro in Offa 17.
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Recently, large quantities of cowries inside a pot were discovered, and the king on the throne
(Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi) ordered that a fence be built round the place18.
After the exit of Okunmolu, Olusanle became the next king in 1624. His success depended
largely on the formidable army he built for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Offa for
about five decades. He died in 1679 and was succeeded by Olusanmi who built upon the legacy
of his predecessor. He also embarked on military expedition in support of the Alafin of Oyo
against external aggression.
It is believed Olusanle returned to Igbo-Oro where he died in 1726 and was succeeded by
Olugbense in the same year. It was during the reign of Olugbense that Offa experienced the first
dramatic development. He built the first road along Popo, where the masquerades used to go out
in procession to appease the gods. It was this same road that linked Igbonna and the first abattoir
at Sango in Offa. The establishment of Popo market took place during his time. It was during his
tenure that another ruling class emerged in Offa, and his successor emerged from Emiola
lineage19. Olugbense died in 1786. The subsequent kings who emerged after Olugbense were
Bamgbola Aremu (1786-1800), Ahmadu Agaka (1800-1803), Olumorin (1803- 1832), Alade
Alebiosu (1832-1844), Ariyibi Omolaoye (1844-1850), Okunoye Moronfolu (1850-1882) and
Adegboye Atoloyetele, (1882-1906),
The ascension to the throne of Oyeniran Ariwajoye in 1906 as the seventeenth king of Offa was
a turning point in the development of Offa20. For instance, the survey for the construction of
railway was conducted in 1906, and the allocation of land to the British for the construction of
offices and residential quarters was done by him. The genealogy tree of the Olofa of Offa could
be seen in Appendix 2
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Similarly, Ariwajoye tenure witnessed the construction of rail line in Offa,. Christianity entered
Offa in 1907 at the same time the rail line from Lagos reached Offa during his reign. It was also
during his reign that the gospel of Christ was preached through the Church Missionary Society
(CMS) and the first church called St Mark’s CMS Church was built in Offa in 1909. The old
edifice of the church could be seen in Appendix 7. The church was coordinated by Reverend and
Mrs. Alfred W. Smiths as the pioneer missionaries21. In that same year, St Mark’s Primary
School was established by the Anglican Mission. It was also during Ariwajoye’s tenure that the
position of king in Offa was elevated to a second class chief status with staff of office. However,
the rank was taken in 1917 by the colonial government22.
It is on record that Offa is made up of four-hundred and twelve compounds. Different sets of
people from Yoruba towns and villages came together to establish what is known as Offa23. Offa
town is believed to have been established on sixteen sources of water. The sources of this water
spread across the length and breadth of Offa. However, some of the sources are partially covered
as a result of road expansion and building of houses. The names of these streams are: Ntoki,
Apon Ojiya, Alahere, Enji, Enkeere, Amube, Muu, Abata, Agun, Ayaba, Alaagba, Pakala, Gogo,
Elekuru, Oriwo and Oyun. One of these rivers, “Oriwo” became a source of water supply for the
railway workers, especially the White men who were the experts residing in a secluded
environment in Offa then24. Before the coming of railway, some of these rivers had various
priests worshipping them, and it continued after the construction of the railway. However, the
acceptance of Islam and Christianity made people to turn away from worshipping them.
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3.4 The Economy of Offa People up to 1907
The medium of exchange in an economy is a key component of business transactions in that
society. The pre-colonial economy of Offa derived its origin from the past, and it cannot be
separated from what was in operation in Africa before the coming of the Europeans. The medium
of exchange in Africa then was trade by barter before the introduction of cowries which were
regarded as the only means of exchange25. Offa was involved in the use of cowries, as a legal
tender for business transactions. Then, there were no distinction amongst international
boundaries as there are today; traders moved freely from place to the other, which Offa people
fully involved. In Offa, agriculture provided assured supplies of food; stimulated a high degree
of urbanisation and specialization; and encouraged an increase in population. Evans-Pritchaerd
remarks that:
The first revolution that transformed human economy gave man control
over his food supply. Man began to plant, cultivate, and improve by
selection of edible grasses, roots and trees” –Evans-Paritchards26.
This is an apt description of the “Neolithic revolution”. This was equally the case of Offa people
who gained total control of sweet potato production not only as a staple food item, but also as
major trade item27. The traditional sweet potato, which is red outside and white inside, has been
taken over by the new variety, which was introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture in the late
last century. According to oral sources, the leaves of sweet potatoes were used medicinally28.
Apart from sweet potato, yam production and locust seed processing was carried out in large
quantities for consumption and sales. The availability of rainfall and fertile land suitable for
cultivation was a success story for agriculture in Offa29. Generally, agriculture was the mainstay
of Offa economy before the introduction of railway transport.
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Before the extension of the railway transport to Offa, it was hardly necessary to give up
agriculture for other economic activities. Apart from long distance trade, which took traders far
away from their homes, non-agricultural jobs were often undertaken on part-time basis during
periods that farmers could relax. However, long time experience in these trade activities took
many Offa people across the sea, especially to Gold Coast (Ghana). Trade in parrot feathers was
an important economic transaction among the people. This made many people to be rooted in
international trade, especially between Offa and the Gold Coast. This shows that Offa people had
engaged in international trade before the establishment of the railway transport. Although it was
done through movement from one place to the other before getting to the coast of Lagos, thence,
they travelled by water to Gold Coast30.
The main discourse on the economy of Offa up before 1907 is focused on agricultural production
and trade as the major economic activities of the area. Agriculture was the main occupation of
the people since land was the only thing that seemed to be in abundance. There was no difficulty
in obtaining land for use. While the farmer did not have outright ownership of land, he or she
was entitled to whatever family land available in his or her place of birth. The growth and
production of yam, millet, maize and sweet potato in Offa before the coming of railway transport
were mainly household affairs, which comprised the head of house using his household to
produce for his immediate family.
Sales of sweet potato was limited at that time because the economy of the area was strictly based
on farm produce items, which limited the purchase of food items, because farming and hunting
were the major work for all the able-bodied men. The female counterparts majorly served as
helpers in what their husbands were doing then. Worthy of note is the fact that, in Offa, the
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success of a man was measured through the size of his farm and the number of his wives with
children working on the farm31.
Although farm produce were very important, at the same time, hunting, livestock raising,
traditional industrial activities and trade were also in practice. Hunting was a very significant
aspect of the people’s occupation. Hunting provided extra food and depopulated the area of
dangerous animals. There were groups of people who engaged in this work then; these were
people from the Asalofa, Oluode and Tabiloko compounds. They led a large number of hunters
on various hunting expeditions to different parts of the areas around Offa. Mass hunting was
usually carried out in distant lands where it was generally believed that big animals could be
found. In most cases, they moved west-ward of Offa town where there was a thick forest. This
was done for food gathering, and also when the need arose for special occasions in the palace,
they moved out in large number to kill animals for such celebrations. The advent of railway
transport made people to increase their hunting activities to supply meet in the meat market that
emerged, even though it was not in large scale as it is found toady in some places such as Ondo
and Oyo States32.
Another important aspect of agriculture among Offa people was livestock keeping. They kept
animals such as goats, sheep and cattle. Cattle were, however, being kept by Hausa-Fulani
herdsmen who had established long standing relationship with the indigenes. They live in Popo
area of Offa. Some of them have become permanent inhabitants of Offa. Goats and sheep were
the most common domestic animals kept by almost all the households in Offa. They also
engaged in poultry, and also kept birds such as duck (agbagba), fowls (adiye), dove (eyele) and
turkey (tolotolo). These livestock served as means of income and protein to both men and
women. The sales of livestock took a centre stage right inside the railway station during its
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booming era in Offa. People carried their livestock for sales to the railway workers. The railway
station was then regarded as a modern market in Offa; it boosted the morale of many people who
had interest in buying and selling. The usual practice of keeping animals for domestic use
changed to sale as source of income. People engaged in direct sale and credit offer until when
salaries were paid to workers. This also created a cordial relationship between the community
and the railway workers33.
Worthy of note, also, is the record that the indigenes of Offa involved in certain traditional
industrial activities as part of economic development. In this category, there were pottery,
blacksmithing, woodwork, cloth weaving and thatch that were used for making houses. The
pottery work, which was localised then moved beyond the shores of Offa. The making of pottery
was boosted as a result of the demand for their products from other parts of the country,
especially the Northern part of Nigeria34.
The woodwork involved the felling of tress, which were carved into various shapes and designs
for several purposes, ranging from socio-cultural to household uses. Wooden implements such as
mortars and pestles (odo & omo-odo), hoe-handles (eruko), drums (igi ilu), seats (apoti or otita),
statue or idol (ere), and many more were constructed by the woodworkers. The exchange of
these items was made easier to other parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos and Ajashe in Benin
Republic where they were, and are still, a number of Yoruba35.
Again, craftsmanship played a major role in the economy of Offa. Among the most conspicuous
ones were clothe-weaving. Although textile production involved majorly cotton growing, little
cotton was cultivated within Offa. The bulk of the quantity needed was obtained from Nupe land.
The production of traditional cloth known as “aso oke” was part of Offa economic activities.
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Other products in Offa and the rest of Yorubaland were adire. It is believed that tie and dye had
its root in Offa to the extent that a compound is called Alaro Compound (Owners’ of dye)36.
In spite of the changes in craft industry, the technology involved in crafts production did not
change irrespective of foreign influence from the establishment of railway transport in Offa. For
instance, the blacksmiths merely changed from forging smelted iron to forging imported iron37.
This was the case in Offa when railway construction started; it only boosted the knowledge of
the people on blacksmithing by incorporating the use of modern technology through the use of
different equipment introduced in the railway terminus for effective fabrication of the iron
products38.
Lastly, business activities in Offa before the establishment of the railway transport rested on
small markets such as Oja-Oba, Popo, Arogun, Sango, Idiogun and Alubata. These were the
markets which served the people of Offa in terms of trade and commerce. Hence, the
introduction of railway transport ushered in Oju-irin market as the first modern market full of
different types of trade items. There was no major market such as Owode market. Before the
establishment of railway, there were in existence only area markets with fixed days39. This was
the nature of business activities in Offa before the establishment of the railway transport, which
was to serve as a starting point for the current economic activities in the area. Some of these
markets are still functioning.
In view of the foregoing analysis about the Offa economy prior to the railway transport in the
area, it is relevant to seek for proper understanding of the impact of the railway transport on Offa
and her environs40. The analysis has, therefore, juxtaposed the Offa economy before and after the
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introduction of the railway transport, and hence provided intelligible inputs for drawing proper
conclusions from the impact of the railway transport in Offa from 1907 to 2008.
3.5 Conclusion
In this chapter, the historical and geographical backgrounds of Offa people have been carefully
analysed. Attention has also been drawn to the physical nature of Offa. The history of Offa
before the establishment of the railway transport has also been examined. The chapter has also
revealed the list of successive kings in the area up to the time railway transport was introduced in
the area. It particularly shows the efforts made by Oyeniran Aruwajoye who was on the throne
when the railway transport was extended to Offa an incident, which facilitated the introduction
Christianity in 1907.
The issues discussed so far have been carefully analysed because railway transport served as a
means of transport to connect far distance places with Offa. The commercial relation as far as the
coastal area is concerned was connected. Before the establishment of the railway transport, none
of the major communities and linguistic groups ever lived in isolation. From the earliest date,
there are historical evidences of interaction through migration, conquest, and trade. However,
railway transport made the connectivity and communication more effective.
The economy of the people is another interesting point analysed. The chapter has provided
understanding of the economic activities of the people before the coming of the Europeans. The
changes that occurred have been studied carefully, especially economic development up to the
colonial period when a major railway terminus was established in Offa.
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Adequate analysis of the area is well captured with an up to date map of Kwara State. It shows
the geographical location of the area and her sphere of influence in the present Kwara State. The
serenity of Offa is equally analysed for proper understanding.
91
Endnotes
1. Oral Interview with Arowolo Amuda, Retired Civil Servant, Beleore’s Compound Offa,
67years, 02-02-2015
2. Oral Interview with Rasheed Babalola Oganla, Driver, Oganla’s Compound Offa, 59years,
02-04-2015
3. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
(Ilorin: NNI Publishers Ltd, 2009), p.4
4. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.7
5. Retrieved from Offa Local Government Information Office, 23rd March, 2015
6. Retrieved from Offa Local Government Town planning Office, 23rd March, 2015
7. Nigeria 2006 Census Figures (Population),
www.nigeriamasterweb.com/nigeria06censusfig.html. Retrieved on the 5th July, 2015
8. Nigeria 2006 Census Figures (Population),
www.nigeriamasterweb.com/nigeria06censusfig.html. Retrieved on the 5th July, 2015
9. Nigeria 2006 Census Figures (Population),
www.nigeriamasterweb.com/nigeria06censusfig.html. Retrieved on the 5th July, 2015
10. Information Department, Offa Local Government, Kwara State. Retrieved 14/05/2014
11. J. B. Olafimihan Rev, Iwe Itan Offa, (Ibadan: Abiprint & pak Limited, 1978), p.11
12. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.27
13. J.B. Olafimihan Revd. Iwe Itan Offa, Ibada, p.12-15
14. J.B. Olafimihan Revd. Iwe Itan Offa, Ibadan, p.16
15. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.27
16. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.30
17. J. B. Olafimihan Rev, 1978, Iwe Itan Offa, p.5
18. Oral Interview with Arowolo Amuda, Retired Civil Servant, Beleore’s Compound Offa,
67years, 02-02-2015
19. J. B. Olafimihan Rev, 1978, Iwe Itan Offa, p.9
92
20. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.40
21. Retrieved from the Document compiled by Iyeru-Okin church Offa. Retrieved on the 22-04-
2015
22. J. S. Olawoyin, My Political Reminiscences 1948 – 1983, (Ikeja: John West Publications
Ltd. 1993), p.8
23. Oral Interview with Opeyemi Deleola , Vicar, Iyeru-Okin Anglican Church Offa, 54years,
22-04-2015
24. Oral Interview with Amao Shehu Tijani , Blacksmith, 85years, Ado’s Compound Offa, 05-
02-2015
25. G. O. Ogunremi, “The Structured of Pre-Colonial Economy” in G. O. Ogunremi & E. K.
Faluyi, (ed), An Economic History of West Africa Since 1750, (Ibadan: Rex Publication,
1996), p.17
26. E. E. Evans-Pritchard, The Nuer: A Description of the Modes of Livelihood and Political
Institutions of a Nilotic People, (London: University Oxford Press, 1940), p.77
27. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
28. Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel, Operation Engineer, 50 years, Railway
Station Offa, 06-04, 2014
29. R. O. Babatunde, E. O. Olorunsanya, J. S. Orebiyi and A. Falola, Optimal Farm Plan in
Sweet Potato Cropping System: The Case of Offa and Oyun Local Government Area of
Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria in Agricultural Journal, Vol 2, Issue 2, 2007.
www.medwelljournals.com Retrieved on 20-07-2014
30. Oral Interview with Samuel Adigun, Retired Civil Servant, Okiti Oke’s Compound Offa,
68years, October 22, 2014
31. Oral Interview with Ibrahim Tijani, Farmer, Jisun’s Compound Offa, 70years, October 22,
2014
32. Oral Interview with Mufutau Alaro, Welder, Alaro’s Compound Offa, 61years, October 22,
2014
33. Oral Interview with Tiamiyu Ashiru, Bricklayer, Alaro’s Compound Offa, 63years, October
22, 2014
93
34. S. Johnson, The History of Yorubas, (Lagos: CSS Bookshops Ltd. Reprinted with update
Map, 2009), p.689
35. Oral Interview with Aluwo Ibrahim Oluode, Farmer 70years, Adeleke Area Offa, 05-04-
2015
36. Oral Interview with Tiamiyu Alaro, Bricklayer 60years, Alaro’s Compound Offa, 06-04-
2015
37. G. O. Ogunremi, “The Structured of Pre-Colonial Economy” in G. O. Ogunremi & E. K.
Faluyi, (ed), An Economic History of West Africa, p.27
38. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
39. Oral Interview with Adebola Rahamani, Farmer, Isale-Ago Area, Offa, 63years, October 22,
2014
40. Oral Interview with Kadir Adedeji, Trader, Agbolese’s Compound Ijagbo, 65years, October
22, 2014
94
CHAPTER FOUR
EXTENSION OF THE RAIL LINE FROM LAGOS TO OFFA AND ITS ENVIRONS
SINCE 1907
4.1 Introduction
The development of Offa began before the establishment of railway transport in the area. The
authority of old Oyo Empire extended to Offa, Borgu, Ilorin and Dahomey in the present Benin
Republic. During the pre-colonial period, Offa people were the heads of Ibolo speaking Yoruba
people, a vast area between Ilorin and Iwo up to Iresa, the present Osun State. This could be
attributed to her military mighty within the area of its influence. The construction of rail line in
1907, and the subsequent extension of railway transport from 1907, contributed immensely to
further development of Offa.
Offa people accepted rail line construction across the area, irrespective of ethno-lingua
differences, was one of the major factors responsible for the development of railway transport in
the area. While some saw the coming of railway as a threat to their existence, particularly the
ugly experiences of the Ilorin people with the telegraph workers who made them to reject the
terminus designed for Ilorin, the authority in Offa saw it as a welcome development1. The
railway project was accepted as an alternative means of transport that could be used to reach out
to other communities within and outside Nigeria. Consequently, the establishment of the railway
transport was embraced wholeheartedly by the Offa people.
The extension of railway transport to Offa was, indeed, a development project. It reshaped, not
only the communication and transportation system of the area, but also the economy of the area.
This development equally affected other neighbouring communities around Offa such as Ipee,
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Ogosun, Igbona, Ilemona, Ijagbo, Erin-Ile, Ira, Ajase-Ipo and Igbomina land in present Kwara
State.
4.2 Origin and Development of Railway Transport in Nigeria Up To 1907
In 1603, a tram road was built to carry coal mines near Strelley to Wollaton, near Norttingham,
central England. Then, the rails were fitted with side boards so that they would guide normal
wagon wheels. This is widely regarded as the first true railway in the world and it is the first
known in history. The take-off point of tram roads in the aforementioned served as a catalyst to
the present railway in Nigeria from 19th century when the construction began2.
At the beginning of tram road, the wagons were hauled by horses. By the mid-17th century, tram
roads were fairly common and continued to be so through the 18th century. Consequently, at the
beginning of the 19th Century, they often ran for considerable distances, taking mineral products
(notably coal) from their sources to the point of consumption, or, in some instances, to a canal
wharf for onward carriage by boat3.
In 1804, a radical change took place when the first railway engine was assembled by Richard
Trevithick. The engine was modified and brought to a working shape by George Stephenson who
used it in 1825 when the world’s first rail road constructed between Stockton and Darlington,
northern England began operations4. The construction of this line was started in 1821 by the
concerned investors and was officially commissioned on 27 September, 1825.
Truly, ideas rule the world. The idea of a geographer, John Whitford, who had travelled
extensively in West Africa between 1853 and 1875 set in motion a thought to construct rail lines
in West Africa, particularly in the Niger area. In 1877, he published an account of his travels in a
book which received a wide publicity in Britain at that time5. John Whitford mentioned in his
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book, the provision of public works and of railways, in particular, as one of the benefits which an
imperial power such as Britain ought to extend to her colonies. He moved further in his analysis
using the Old Roman imperialists who, he said had built roads for the benefit, of wild-skin
clothed. He maintained that Britain had, in the past, gained so much from the Romans who ought
to extend the same kindness to Africans by constructing railways into the interior of West
Africa6.
On the basis of the foregoing argument, John Whitford advocated for the construction of a
railway from Lagos to Lokoja, “a central point”, in the interior of what was to become Nigeria
by 1914. He opined that the projected railway would end what he imagined to be the petty
jealousy among the hostile people of the interior thereby enabling them “to take to work in
earnest”7. This laudable idea marked the beginning of railway construction in West Africa,
especially in Nigeria.
Thereafter, Messers Fredrick Fitzgerald and William Mercer played prominent role in facilitating
the construction of railway lines both in Nigeria and the Gold Coast (Ghana). They brought a
more ambitious railway programme to colonial office in 1879. Fitzgerald was a member of the
Africa Aid Society formed in 1879 by a group of British merchants and philanthropists under
Lord Afred Church-Hill with the aim of repatriating persecuted Negroes from Canada and USA
by bringing them back to Africa where they could take up cotton cultivation on a large scale.
Fitzgerald became the editor of the Society’s official journal, The African Times, which he took
over at the demise of the Society in 1866. Until his death in 1884, he used the Society to
champion the rights of the Africans by campaigning for their political, economic and social
development/emancipation8. One of the strategies he adopted was the proposal for a railway
project in 1879 as his aspiration for Africa’s development. Although he did not have the means
97
to finance the project, his mission to actualise rail line project was canvassed on the pages of the
newspapers in Britain, among British government officials, arguing why it was necessary to
construct railway in Nigeria. At the same time, his counterpart, William Mercer, was canvasing
for the same project in Gold Coast (Ghana). This campaign yielded positive results later in the
area later known as Nigeria9.
The survey for the construction of railway began in Lagos in May 1895 by Gilbert Carter, the
then governor for the Lagos Colony. The construction started in Lagos in December 1896, and in
1898 the Nigerian Railway started operation in Lagos as the Lagos Railway, the first in Nigeria.
In 1901, Ibadan, the centre of cocoa-growing area was reached. The extension continued from
Ibadan to Offa through Oshogbo in 1907, and at Jebba in 1909. The Baro-Kano Railway, via the
Niger, was completed in 1911 and the two lines were connected by the Jebba bridge in 191210.
In 1914, the tin depot of Jos was connected to the Zaria line by the narrow-gauge Bauchi Light
Railway. A new line was constructed from Port Harcourt to the coal mines of Enugu in 1916.
After the First World War, the Eastern line was extended to Kaduna, which, thus, became the
junction of the main lines, 569 and 561 miles from the sea by the western and eastern lines,
respectively. The east line was completed in 1932 when a bridge over the Benue, replacing a
ferry, was opened at Makurdi. Thenceforth, branches were been built; Kafanchan-Jos, Zaria-
Kaura Namoda, Kano-Nguru, and Ifo-Idogo. These were the early rail lines in Nigeria, which the
area of study was among11.
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4.3 Colonial Government Notice and Land Acquisition in Offa for the Construction of
Railway Projects
It is important to state that the colonial government took a critical analysis of the area required
for the construction of railway lines in Nigeria before the construction began. This was also the
case in Offa before the construction began. Acquisition of land for rail line in Offa was based on
the availability of population in the area as well as the availability of cash crops along the
designated routes for rail line.
The assessment of the western routes from Ibadan to Jebba, which comprised Offa was
categorised into three segments, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Under the “Route A”, the first 50 – 60 miles
out of Oshogbo, as explained by the surveyor, the Ilesha district was not keen about agricultural
produce. Invariably, available resources in the District did not suit railway construction12. This
led to the diversion of the rail line to Ikirun under “Route B” due to very considerable level of
cultivation of agricultural produce. The report by Mr. Brounger on “Route C” which comprised
Offa showed that the staple crops between Offa and Ilorin up to Egga were guinea corn, millet,
ground nuts, maize and yams. The report further stated that the well-populated districts would
equally contribute large quantity of cotton.
The Brounger identified the hilly nature of the place as the major difficulty to be encountered in
constructing the Oke-Mesi line unlike the line from Offa to Ilorin where there were no such hills.
After the general assessment by Brounger, the following rail lines were proposed for the
Northern Province of Nigeria:
(a) Offa- Zungereu, under Lagos Railway Northern Extension;
(b) Zungeru - Minna Zungeru Link Railway;
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(c) Baro- Kano Baro-Kano Railway (B. K. R);
(d) Zaria – Bukuru Bauchi Light Railway; and
(e) Ogumel- Makurdi Northern Extension Railway (N.E.R)
Mr Brounger’s report was published in the Gazette No. 9 of September 30, 1911. It clearly
showed the way the land was to be acquired13. The report specified that the acquired land for the
rail line was to be one hundred yards as the usual distance. The same applied to the site
earmarked for the station in Offa, and the notice was duly served on the affected compounds.
Following the notice of acquisition served on the people living in the acquired areas in Offa,
compensation notice was also issued to them for the removal of their houses affected by the
extension of the railway line from Oshogbo to Ilorin. The notice issued contained details of the
affected people with the amount to be paid to them by southern Nigerian government14. The
notice of compensation was as follow:
The Railway Engineer at Ibadan informed Resident Ilorin that demolition of few
compounds is necessary at Offa for extension Oshogbo-Ilorin Rail line and people
have accordingly been instructed to move. The compensation on capitation basis
of £10/ per adult male and £5/per adult female be arranged between your
Engineer and my Resident and paid by Southern Nigeria before vacate their
premises15.
The actual number of the affected people was sixty male adults and seventy female adults. The
heads of the compounds, all old men, were born there and they followed the custom of inter-
mural burial16.
Apart from the request to build rail line across the town, large portions of land were allocated to
the British government to construct offices and residential quarters around Afelele area in Offa.
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The area is known as Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Offa17. Also, the area known as
“Sabon Gari” was carved out enclosing the station is premises for a distance of some 3500 feet
and the breadth of 250 feet. The area was used exclusively for the housing of the non-local
employees. Shortly after this, land acquisition for offices began in 1915. The acquired land
between the rail line and European residential quarters occupied by the railway officials was
1,000 feet18.
The acquisition of land created sharp dichotomy between the indigenes and railway workers,
particularly the Europeans, who were experts posted to Offa. Some areas became “no go” areas
for the indigene because of security and safety purposes on the rail track. An instruction, which
prevented the Offa people from making use of the pathways that passed through the European
offices around the station was issued. For easy movement of people on the rail track when train
was in motion, there were two recognised crossings by means of which persons wishing to cross
the railway may do so; one to the south of workshop and the other to north of the station. These
crossings were reasonably safe for foot passengers, who could not be allowed near the European
offices19.
The railway staff quarters was constructed in accordance with the building regulations of the
Northern Province. Only one third of the demolition of the available plot was covered with
buildings for railway staff for residential purposes. Twelve feet space was left at either sides of
the station and back between the existing buildings20. The area comprised present location of
Owode market. Large part of the market used to be under the control of railway authority before
it was later acquired by the District of Offa for the construction of Owode market, which has
remained the major market in Offa21.
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4.4 The Construction and Development of Railway System in Offa and Its Environs Since
1907
The beginning of railway transport in Offa is traceable to the initiative of the British government
to construct rail line across the then Southern Protectorate. This initiative spurred the British
government to make frantic effort to link communities in the northern part to the coast of Lagos.
The Lagos to Abeokuta, a region which was reported to be very rich in forest produce and very
thickly populated, was paramount to the British government for effective supply of raw-materials
to their industries. Six months before that time, approval had been given for work to begin on an
independent project: the construction of the two bridges to connect Lagos to Iddo and the
mainland both in Lagos22.
In a bid to achieve the foregoing objective, railway transport finally got to Offa as a result of the
expansion which started from Ibadan- Jebba between 1901- 1910 with 295 kms rail line. Also,
the first bus train with number I driven by LONG GROVE got to Offa in 1909 during the
construction. The pictures below show the image of the bus train driven by LONG GROVE.
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The Image of the Bus Train Driven by Long Grove 1909 to Offa
Source: Reseacher’s field work, 17th December, 2016 at Mina Railway Yard, Niger State, Nigeria23.
103
As at the time of conducting research, this particular train was parked at Minna railway yard as a
relic. Movement of this rail car marked the beginning of railway transport movement in Offa24.
The processes of amalgamation of 1914 led to the unification of Lagos government railway and
Baro-Kano railway lines on October 3, 1912, leading to the establishment of Nigerian railways in
195525. The birth of the first amalgamation was primarily hatched for the benefit of the colonial
government which was in search of raw materials for the home industries. While it eased the
movement of goods and services for the inhabitants, it also created opportunity for the British
government officials to enter the hinterlands for the purpose of commerce and administration.
No matter the feat achieved in the railway sector, it was not until in 1955 that the sector gained
its current name following the passing of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Act of 1955.
The Act gave birth to the NRC, which then obtained a constitutional backing to construct and
operate rail services in Nigeria26. Also, the Act set up the NRC, as a statutory corporation entirely
owned by the federal government. The Act assigned the following functions to NRC:
i. To manage and operate the railway system and provide reasonable facilities for the
carriage of passengers and goods
ii. To control railway expenditure
iii. To ensure that as far as it possible, annual revenue are sufficient to meet all
expenditure properly chargeable to revenue; and
iv. To direct and control expansion and extension of the railway system27.
The NRC Act encouraged and boosted the image of railway administration in Offa and Nigeria
at large. This resulted from the fact that the NRC was established to free the railway
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management from the rigidity and formality of government procedure and to establish the
corporation as a public utility to run on quasi-commercial lines28.
However, from the outset, the NRC was saddled with conflicting objectives of business and
social services. This situation has remained one of the fundamental problems confronting the
growth of Railway Corporation as an institution in Nigeria after independence. At the peripheral
level, it has also directly or indirectly continued unabatedly to affect the development of railway
transport in Offa.
The period of colonial rule in Nigeria witnessed considerable investment in various projects in
Offa, particularly the railway transport, which was to facilitate easy access to the hinterlands for
effective coverage for political administration and annexation of economic resources of Offa and
its environs for the benefit of the colonial administration. The period from 1914 to 1954 could be
referred to as the period of development in Offa under the colonial regime. It was within this
period that the phase one in railway development was hatched29. The British government made
concerted efforts to develop the Nigerian railway to serve the entire Offa community and its
environs.
The phase one (1914 - 1955) period in the railway development was a significant period in the
development of the railway project in Nigeria. Within the period, railway lines were developed,
like the western line from Lagos to Offa which covered 215 kms, and to Jebba covering 300
kms. The extension to Zaria covered 500 kms, while the northern terminus at Nguru covered 614
kms30.
In the railway project, Nigeria was very important to the British government in her railway
project because she was densely populated than any other part of Africa. Similarly, Offa was
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strategic for administrative purpose because it meant the requirement for a terminus to replace
the proposal at Ilorin, which was rejected by the people as a result of immoral acts of telegraph
workers who abducted people’s wives and female children. These unethical conducts by the
telegraph workers made the Ilorin people to mobilise to resist the siting of the major railway
station in the town31.
More importantly, the rejection by the Ilorin people of a railway terminus in the town offered
Offa the opportunity to have a railway terminus. This was because the Offa people and the King,
then Oba Oyeniran Aruwajoye, in 1907 embraced the construction of railway line across Offa as
a big opportunity that would contribute immensely to the development of the town and its
environs32. It is important to mention here that the construction began in 1901 from Ibadan and
proceeded to Offa in 1907 where the man that led the workers, SMITH MARK, died and was
buried. This area is known as Eyinbo-Okukale in Offa33. The tomb of Smith Mark is signified
with a heavy rock erected on it. Below is the picture of the rock used as the tomb of SMITH
MARK.
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The Rock Showing the Tomb of Smith Mark at Eyinbo Okukale, Offa
Source: Researcher’s field work, 20th April, 201534
This area is known as Eyinbo-Okukale. Behind the tomb, there is a private school called Ogo-
Oluwa Daycare, Nursery & primary School; and opposite the tomb, Nawar-rudeen LGEA School
is located. The tomb is located about 10 metres away from the rail line, and about 300 meters
away from Offa terminus.
In order to serve the interest of Offa better, the way-side stations were allocated to Erin-Ile, the
nearby towns to Offa. This gave opportunity to the inhabitants of Erin-Ile and Ijagbo to
participate fully in the construction35. Worthy of note is that the development of railway line in
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Offa made many inhabitants of the area to engage in the railway work as additional means of
livelihood.
Another important benefit of the railway project to the Offa people was that it marked the
beginning of contact and interaction between the Offa people and the white man. Although
communication between them was a very tedious task at the beginning, it later served as a
“blessing” to the natives because many of them learnt English language and became interpreters
between the white man and the native authority36.
Yet another important benefit was the platform the railway provided for easy movement of
people and goods. For instance, from Oshogbo to Offa, about 45 kms of rail line was laid to
connect the cities along these routes such as Ikirun, Inisa, Okuku, Oyan and Erin-Ile. This
facilitated easy movement of goods and services between these towns37.
4.5 The Administration of Railway Transport and Its Significance to Offa People, 1907 -
2008
The understanding of the concept of administration would provide adequate understanding of the
administrative structure of railway administration in Offa as well as provide us with the insight
to enable us to meaningfully analyse the different departments located therein. According to
Fajuba:
Administration is simply meant the organization and direction of persons in order
to accomplish a specified end. It involves the efficient organization of people,
information, and other resources to achieve organizational objectives38.
In other words, administration can be seen in a more broad perspective as a generic process. It
may be divided into public, business, education, military, church, private, or any other form of
administration. Administration is also an activity or process mainly concerned with the means of
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carrying out prescribed tasks. Although the ends of government business, military and church are
clearly different, the means of achieving these ends are often the same. The main component of
administration is information. People are the resources who make use of information to add to an
organization39. The following common elements according to Fajuba are very important to
administration because they facilitate the accomplishment of administrative tasks:
•Man-power and skills: These are organised and directed in any organization for
accomplishment of tasks
•Individuals: These are human variables, which motivated and rewarded according to their
contributions in any organisation
•Formal and Informal Authority: In every large organisation, one finds a hierarchy of formal
and informal authority.
•Specialization: In any organisation, there are specialisation of labour operating according to
explicit rules and regulations40.
The common elements enumerated above give a clear understanding of administrative set up that
one could imagine after the establishment of railway transport in Offa. Particularly, it throws
more light on the role of the administrative headquarters located in Offa and how it served as a
radiator to other stations that comprised Osun, Kwara and some parts of present Niger State. The
enormous tasks derived by the stations, and way-side stations under Offa from Origo in Osun
State to Mokwa in Niger State, made Offa station important in terms of the administrative work
rendered to them41.
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It is important to analyse the various departments sited in Offa station. It would be interesting to
know that about ten departments existed in the NRC, but only nine were operational in Offa
before the collapse of the railway corporation. Even though these departments are still visible in
the station, some are not functional again because of the general problem in the railway sector.
The only department not located in Offa was legal services and secretary to the corporation.
Below were the departments:
i. Operations and Commercial
ii. Civil Engineering
iii. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
iv. Signal and Telecommunication
v. Administration
vi. Accounts
vii. Internal Audit
viii. Legal Services and Secretary to the Corporation
ix. Stores
x. Nigeria Police Railway Command42.
Operations and Commercial Department was a very important department, which was
saddled with the responsibility of running trains. It planed trains’ schedules and sets the tariff for
passengers, goods and services. It was a core department in railway administration, and it had the
direct responsibility of achieving the objectives of the corporation43. In the organogram of the
railway corporation, Offa was regarded as a district office. The key officers of the districts are:
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i. The Railway District Manager: He was the administrative and operational head of the
District. He ensured optimal combination of the output of all operational departments
in the District for effective and sound administration of the system.
ii. District Superintendent: He coordinated the running of trains for both passengers and
freight services.
iii. District Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: He coordinated repairs and maintenance of
the rolling stock, that is, locomotive engines, coaches and wagon stock. He ensures
that trains are dispatched in good conditions in a way that will make smooth running
and journey.
iv. District Engineer: His office oversaw all engineering works in the district, viz; track
construction and maintenance, civil engineering, infrastructural constructions and
maintenance from Origo to Jebba under Western District.
v. District Signal and Telecommunications Engineer: He coordinates all sections of
Signal and Telecommunication namely; Signaling, Radio, Telecom and Telephone
exchange, by ensuring the repair and maintenance of all related apparatus/equipment.
vi. District Internal Auditor: He was the watchdog of the District Administration. He
coordinates periodic examination of financial documents, tickets and stock
verification of stores.
vii. District Accountants: He coordinated the control of the Revenue and Expenditure of
the District.
viii. District Medical Officer: He is the arrow head of all Medical personnel in the District
that provide medical care for all workers within Offa. By extension, he provides
medical care for families and defendants of workers and members of the public and
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people in the neighbouring communities44. This was the first western medical care
introduced in Offa which served as a major benefit of the railway transport right from
its inception45.
ix. District Public Relations Officer: He coordinated Press/Media relations, publicity in
the community and institution relation for the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)46.
The great benefit of this was that during Christmas and New year celebration, it
served the community in terms of announcements. This made Offa station a beehive
of large number of people for Christmas entertainment till the dawn of every New
Year. Apart from this, it gave adequate information to the community on the arrival
and takes off time of Trains. More importantly, it was a medium used to convey
messages of major events to the community whenever the need arose at that time47.
x. District Store Officer: He was in-charge of storage and purchase. He also coordinates
the distribution of materials to workers in various departments for effective discharge
and smooth running of railway operations and services. The inhabitants of Offa
benefited a lot from this department because it required constant supply of various
finished goods like provisions, writing materials, wood, food items48. Many
businessmen like Jatto, Ijaya and Sanni Abba were the major suppliers then. It created
opportunities for them to engage in supply, which was a new concept of business at
that time49.
xi. District Personnel Officer: He was in-charge of staff issues. He deals on matters
relating to disciplinary action against erring workers. He also coordinated salary
payment, recruitment of staff, promotion exercise, welfare function and industrial
relations on daily basis and other assignments based on these as may be directed by
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the District Manager50. At the beginning of the railway system in Offa up to its peak
period, traders within and outside Offa gave credit facilities to railway workers. Then,
it was a major benefit to the traders as well as a relief to the workers who got
whatever they needed from traders pending the payment of their salaries. However,
any time the relationship went bad, in most cases, the onus lied on the District
Personnel Officer to settle the dispute between the worker(s) and trader(s) involved in
the dispute(s)51. The staff strength of the station in Offa up to 2008, which had the
major share in Western District zone, is analysed below.
Table 1
The Staff Strength of the Station in Offa up to 2008
Departments Senior Staff Junior Staff Total
Civil Engineer 32 37 69
Mechanical 59 17 76
Operation & Commercial 62 24 86
Administration 9 19 28
Personal 1 5 6
Public Relation 1 - 1
Signal & Communication 29 30 59
Account 11 1 12
Store 5 - 5
Audit 5 - 5
Medical 10 14 24
GRAND TOTAL 224 147 371
Source: Extracted from Administrative Office of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Offa on May 7,
201552
This was the figure of the staff strength at Offa station when the railway system was at the
critical stage of challenges. The actual number of staff could not however be ascertained from
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the beginning. However, the available information shows that the staff strength at the peak
period of railway transport was about two thousand. This created little hiccup in the payment of
salary in a day, and to contain the problem salary was usually paid on table in two days within
the station premises53.
It is important to note that generally, the NRC is divided into seven districts, and each district
was headed by a District Manager who, in turn, was answerable to the Managing Director of the
Corporation. The following were the districts established for easy running of the corporation:
i. Lagos District – Ebute – Meta
ii. Western District – Ibadan
iii. North West District – Minna
iv. North East District – Bauchi
v. North Central – Kafanchan
vi. Northern District – Zaria
vii. Eastern – District – Enugu
Offa and Ewekoro deport stations constituted Western District. The Western District Manager
seated at Ibadan controlled railway activities from Ibadan to Jebba. The daily activities of the
stations from Origo in Osun State to Mokwa werre channeled to Offa deport station, and the
Manger in Offa reported to the District Manager at Ibadan54.
The population of railway workers contributed immensely to the establishment of the market
around the Offa station. This gave opportunity to traders from far and near to bring different
types of goods to the station for sale. Then, railway workers’ salaries were paid in two folds in a
month. The first payment came in the middle of the month, while the second payment came at
114
the end of the month. It gave traders valour to give their items on credit to railway workers
pending the time salary was paid. Among other items brought for sale were livestock, clothes,
shoes, crops. This system of trade continued for a long period of time. This led to the formation
of Owode market near the station55.
Finally, construction of rail line between Offa and Jebba was given adequate attention because of
the opportunity given to the White men to site a befitting administrative centre in Offa. It aided
the construction of this line56.
4.6 The Golden Era of the Nigerian Railway Transport in Offa, 1944 – 1965
The period between 1944 and 1965 marked the golden age of the Nigerian railway transport in
Offa and Nigeria at large. The era tagged “golden period of railway Transport in Offa” signified
the peak period of railway in Nigeria. This is basically because it was the period that a small
office assigned to Offa as a railway station got a face lift from the corrugated offices to a full-
fledged office complex saddled with different responsibilities in the terminus with a section
under the control of Ibadan carved out and subsumed under the control of railway station in Offa
reporting directly to Lagos57. The area started from Origo near Ede, now Osun State, to Mokwa
in Niger State then. This also paved way for the construction and commissioning of the Railway
Club which was commissioned in 1952, and its development was celebrated by a Juju Maestro,
I.K. Dairo58.
The last kilometres of the rail line was laid between 1958 and 1964 from Kuru to Maiduguri in
North-east Nigeria, bringing the total track length to 3,505 km59. From 1959, railway transport
accounted for one-third of the overland freight movement. At independence in 1960, the
Nigerian Railway Corporation had 257 locomotives, 339 carriages and 3,885 wagons to serve the
115
functional routes. There was an estimated population of 21 million people in Nigeria at that
particular period. This made railway transport the best and most affordable mode of
transportation in Nigeria then60. The existing railway network in the country then consisted of
3,505 km of narrow gauge track and 276 km of standard gauge tracks, which connected Ajaokuta
(where the steel mill is located). This was made possible as a result of the expansion of railway
track across Nigeria61. The performance of the NRC sky-rocketed steadily from 1959, as reflected
in the passengers carried with goods. The table below shows the analysis of the goods and
passengers conveyed through the study area between 1959 and 1982.
Table 2
Traffic on Nigeria Railways, 1959 - 1982
YEAR ENDED NUMBER OF PASSENGERS(’000)
TONNAGE HANDLED(’000)
FRIGHT RECEIPTS(’000 ₦)
1959 7,015 3,097 27,1081960 7,881 2,803 23,0901961 9,822 2,722 21,5841962 11,061 3,003 25,4601963 12,006 2,760 24,6041964 11,288 2,960 27,4761965 10,630 2,834 23,5041966 11,621 2,884 23,4441967 10,005 2,481 21,8101968 6,916 1,868 19,2361969 8,007 1,868 20,4421970 8,369 1,553 18,5101971 8,369 1,604 -1972 6,151 1,406 15,1101973 5,819 1,670 -1974 4,670 1,978 -1975 4,540 1,875 14,1121976 4,300 1,650 -1977 3,900 1,540 -1978 2,400 1,231 -1979 1,210 1,081 -1980 982 850 -
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1981 710 649 -1982 632 589 -Source: Economic Survey of Nigeria 1960- 1982
The chart shows the performances of railway transport from 7, 015, 000 in 1959 to a high of
12,006,000 in 1963. This shows that 1963 remained the highest figure in the history of
passengers’ movement through the transport system in Nigeria, and Offa station contributed to
the figure recorded then. Shortly after that period in 1964, the number of passengers declined to
11,288,000. From then, passengers’ traffic gradually declined to 4,670,000 in 197462. Also, the
tonnage increased drastically in 1962 to 3,003,000, and freight receipt reached its peak by
₦25,460,000. Thereafter, tonnage handled by the railway has continued to show a progressive
decline: from 3,097, 000 in 1959 to 1,978,000 in 197463.
The increase in the movement of people and goods boosted the services of the railway transport
in Offa. It led to the increase in the number of employment and commercial activities that were
boosted during this period. The face-lift given to the station had value on Offa economy. Other
adjoining communities also benefited from the boost. This continued till 1965 when the problem
of the railway system started64. By 1982, both passenger and freight had dropped to 632, 000
and 589,000 respectively, which affected financial capacity of railway authority. This led to mass
retrenchment of railway workers. Sudden and compulsory retirements of these workers were not
back up with adequate compensation. Particular, the workers that were retired in 1985 suffered
from collapse of NRC.
4.7 Conclusion
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The chapter explains how the railway transport was extended from Lagos to Offa and its
environs since 1907. It also explains clearly the origin and development of railway system from
inception when the idea was propagated a writer, Messer Fredrick Fitzgerald, using different
articles to pressurise the British government to construct rail line in the West African sub region,
particularly Nigeria.
The account of how the land was acquired for the construction of railway lines and offices is also
analysed in the chapter. The method adopted by the British colonial government for the
compensation of land acquired is equally narrated. The chapter analyses the construction and
extension of railway to Offa and how it moved to Jebba. The analysis shows how the study area
benefited from the first phase of the railway network in Nigeria.
The administrative structure of railway transport in Offa and its significance to the area under its
control is fully examined, out-lining the number of departments available in the station. This
provides opportunity to assess the accurate number of staff directly involved in day-to-day
activities of railway services in Offa station between 1907 and 2008. The peak period of the
railway transport was elucidated and important events and actions taken by the authority, which
made the period special in the area was examined with keen interest.
Endnotes
118
1. S. Y. Omoiya, “The Location of Economic Potentials of a Frontier Community in
Nigeria: An Export on Ilorin In The 20th Century” in International Journal of
Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.11, January, 2013 p.39
2. S. Ponnuswamy, Railway Transportation Engineering, Operation and Management
(New Delhi: Narosa Publishing House, PVT Ltd., 2012), p.3.1
3. S. Ponnuswamy, Railway Transportation Engineering, Operation and Management,
p.5.1
4. M. A. Rao, Indian Railways, (New Delhi: National Book Trust, 1975), p.256
5. M.A. Rao, Transport Economics’ Institute of Rail Transport, (New Delhi: Rail
Bhavan, 1967), p.50
6. History of Railway in Great Britain, www.sinfin.net/railways/railhist.html Retrieved,
May 20, 2014
7. J. N. Sain, Indian Railways-One Hundred Years, Ministry of Railways, New Delhi,
1953, p.45
8. Nigerian Metro Rail Thread, www.skycrapercity.com/showthread.php?=721518
Retrieved on the 28-02-2015
9. History of Railway in Great Britain, www.sinfin.net/railways/railhist.html Retrieved,
May 20, 2014
10. O. Omosini “The Background to Railway Policy in Nigeria”, in I.A. Akinjogbin and
S.O. Osoba , (ed), Topics on Nigeria Economic and Social History, p.150
11. O. Omosini “The Background to Railway Policy in Nigeria”, in I.A. Akinjogbin and
S.O. Osoba , (ed), Topics on Nigeria Economic and Social History, p.151-155
12. O. Omosini “The Background to Railway Policy in Nigeria”, in I.A. Akinjogbin and
S.O. Osoba , (ed), Topics on Nigeria Economic and Social History, p.165
13. Oral Interview with Rashed Oganla, Driver, 60years, Oganla’s Compound Offa, 07-
02-2015
14. NAK /SNP7/ 2440/1907: Report on Railway Routes Connecting The Lagos Line With
Egga by Percy Girouard, p.10
119
15. NAK /SNP17 /K. 1007/167/1926: Railways: Land Appropriated in N.P for Plans
16. NAK /SNP7 /1857/1907 Houses in the Town of Offa Through Which the Alignment
of the Oshogbo – Ilorin Extension Railway Runs – Demolishing and Compensation
17. NAK /SNP7 /1857/1907: Houses in the Town of Offa Through Which the Alignment
of the Oshogbo – Ilorin Extension Railway Runs – Demolishing and Compensation
back page
18. Oral Interview with Andrew Opaleye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
19. NAK /SNP10 /129p/1913: Offa Sabon Gari Administration by Nigerian Railway, p.5
20. NAK /484/1915: Offa Government Layout, ILO PROF, p.11
21. NAK /3191/2/1936: Railway Employees Housing Accommodations in Offa Town,
p.10
22. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound
Ijagbo, 69years, October 22, 2014
23. NAK /SNP/2322/1912: Presentation System on Open Lines and Construction of New
Lines of Railway in Northern & Southern Nigeria, With Recommendations for Their
Future Administration and Construction, p.6
24. A. M. Deji, Picture snapped by the researcher on the 16th December, 2016
25. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area
Offa, 05-04-2015
26. B. Ogundana, The Transport Constraint on Rural Development in Nigeria, A
proceeding of The Annual Conference of The Nigerian Economic Society (Ibadan
University Press 1973), p.20
27. On The History of Nigeria Railway, www.nigeriansinameriac.com Retrieved on the
12th December, 2015
28. NAK /SNP /7 2332/1912: Railways Nigeria – Construction and Open lines Report by
Major Waghorn, p.2
120
29. B. Ogundana, The Transport Constraint on Rural Development in Nigeria, A
Proceeding of The Annual Conference of The Nigerian Economic
Society………,1973, p.21
30. B. Ogundana, The Transport Constraint on Rural Development in Nigeria, A
proceeding of The Annual Conference of The Nigerian Economic Society…… ,1973,
p.25
31. The Railway Network www.sinfin.net/railways/railhist.html Retrieved May 20, 2014
32. Nigerian Railway Corporation-Locomotive,
www.topforge.co.uk/photographs/NRC.htm Retrieved February 10. 2015
33. S. Y. Omoiya , The Location of Economic Potentials of a Frontier Community in
Nigeria: An Export on Ilorin In The 20th Century, in International Journal of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol.11, January, 2013, p.39
34. Oral Interview with Shehu Tijani Amao, Blacksmith, 85years, Ado’s Compound Offa,
06-02-2015
35. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years May 20,2015
36. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area
Offa, 05-04-2015
37. Oral Interview with Lateef Eri Okan, Driver, 64years, Balogun’s Compound, Ira, 14-
04-2015
38. Oral Interview with Shehu Tijani Amao, Blacksmith, 85years, Ado’s Compound Offa,
06-02-2015
39. F.A Ajibua and E. A Ayeni, Element of Public Administration, (Ilorin: PSMS Printing
and Publishers Company, 2001), p.6
40. What is Administration, www.instam.org Extracted on 1st August, 2015
41. F. A. Ajibua and E. A. Ayeni, Element of Public Administration, p.8
42. NAK /278/1907: Railway Extension and Enhanced Value of Lands
43. S. I. O. Elechi F. R. Gbadamosi and M. A. Koko, Commercial Training Manual for
Kwara State Staff on Kwara State Mass Transit Train Service At Nigerian Railway
Corporation Ilorin, Kwara State, Organized on 16th – 24th June, 2011
44. Oral Interview: Oke Olarenwaju , Civil Servant, Public Relation Officer, Nigerian
Railway Corporation Ilorin Station, Kwara State, 40years, May 22, 2015
121
45. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound
Ijagbo, 69years, October 22, 2014
46. S. I. O. Elechi F. R. Gbadamosi and M. A. Koko, Commercial Training Manual for
Kwara State Staff on Kwara State Mass Transit Train Service At Nigerian Railway
Corporation Ilorin, Kwara State, Organized on 16th – 24th June, 2011
47. Oral Interview with Oke Olarenwaju , Civil Servant, Public Relation Officer, Nigerian
Railway Corporation, Ilorin Station, Kwara State, 40years, May 22, 2015
48. S. I. O. Elechi F. R. Gbadamosi and M. A. Koko, Commercial Training Manual for
Kwara State Staff on Kwara State Mass Transit Train Service At Nigerian Railway
Corporation Ilorin, Kwara State, Organized on 16th – 24th June, 2011
49. Oral Interview with Bunmi Omoleye, Civil Servant, Admin Officer, Nigerian Railway
Corporation Ilorin Station, Kwara State, 40years, May 22, 2015
50. S. I. O. Elechi F. R. Gbadamosi and M. A. Koko, Commercial Training Manual for
Kwara State Staff on Kwara State Mass Transit Train Service At Nigerian Railway
Corporation Ilorin, Kwara State, Organized on 16th – 24th June, 2011
51. Oral Interview with Lateef Ijewu, Retired Railway Staff, 100years, Ijewu Compound,
Offa, 05-04-2015
52. Extracted from Administrative Office of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Offa on May
7, 2015
53. T. M. Bot, RAILNEWS, Federal Ministry of Transport Restructured, Yearly Journal
of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Vol. 4, No. 7 March, 2007, P20
54. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area
Offa, 05-04-2015
55. T. M. Bot, RAILNEWS, Federal Ministry of Transport Restructured, Yearly Journal
of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Vol. 4 No., 7 March, 2007, p30
56. Oral Interview with Pa Moses Adeyemi, Retired Railway Staff, 77years, Ogidiri Area
Offa, 06-04-2015
57. Oral Interview with Aina Akinsanya, Railway Staff, 56years, Railway Station Offa,
06-02-2015
58. Oral Interview with Elder Francis Olayinka, Retired Railway Staff, 79years, Ogidiri
Area Offa, 06-04-2015
122
59. Oral Interview with John Opaleye, Retired Railway Staff, 69years, Ogidiri Area Offa,
06-04-2015
60. NAK /SNP7 /340/1903: Attorney General 4th December, 1903 Railway Graduations
Draft, Rule of Engagement
61. J. A. Odeleye, Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development in
Nigeria, www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/f42 Extracted on 25-08-2015
62. E. K. Agbaaeze and I.O Onwuka, Boosting Railway System Infrastructure in Nigeria:
The Public-Private Partnership Option. www.afara.org.ng/download/8.pdf Extracted
on 26-08-2015
63. S. O. Olayide, Economic Survey of Nigeria 1960-1975, (Ibadan: University Press,
1980), p.113
64. Oral Interview with Pa Moses Adeyemi, Retired Railway Staff, 77years, Ogidiri Area
Offa, 06-04-2015
CHAPTER FIVE
123
RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFA AREA FROM 1907 -
2008
5.1 Introduction
Development in any society is regarded as an overall socio-economic and political process,
which is dependent upon the outcome of man’s effort to deal with his natural environment. The
five major epochs in human history viz: communalism, slavery, feudalism, capitalism and
communism1. are the various stages of development, which represent categories of development
as man progresses in life.
The era of railway development in Offa started when colonial capitalism was craving for more
goods to maximise profit. Although the ulterior motive of the capitalists was the passion and
urge for profit and capital accumulation in free market system, the creation of railway transport
in West Africa, particularly Nigeria at that time, brought significant development to Offa in
terms of transport system, which Offa people had never experienced before, until railway
construction began in 1907.
Prior to the establishment of the railway transport in Offa, the other means of transport such as
cart and cart road, were common2. These means of transport were commonly used to connect
places outside Offa such as Okuku, Igbayi, Igbaja, Oro, Inisha and Osogbo. Animals, especially
donkeys, were also used, as well as human portage to convey goods from one location to
another. These local means of transportation helped the area at that time. However, it could not
enhance the free-flow of business transaction in the area until railway transport was established.
Following the introduction of the railway into Offa, concerted efforts were made by people such
as Elegbede, Tafa Ilesanmi, Alfa Anbe, Adelabu Ijesha and Y. A. Adebayo to provide new routes
124
to Ira, Ipee and Igbona to compliment and facilitate movement of goods and services from
nearby towns and villages to Offa railway station for onward transfer to the coast for export3.
5.2 The Establishment of Railway Transport and the Development of Offa and its Environs
from 1907 -2008
At the beginning of the railway operations in Offa and its environs, the station in Offa remained
the biggest of all among the following towns: Ede, Origo, Oshogbo, Ikirun, Inisa, Erin-Ile, Ilorin,
Jebba and Mokwa. The initial plan of the British colonial government was brought to a limelight
in 1944 when Offa station got a face lift from being an ordinary station to a terminus, which
served as the administrative headquarters for all stations from Origo in Osun State to Mokwa in
Niger State. This marked the major landmark for the development of Offa, because the
administrations of the stations, including the staff were under the control of Offa terminus.
While railway transport brought passengers from far and near to Offa, the terminus drew the
attention of railway authority to the area for administrative purposes. Interestingly, the only
department reporting directly to Lagos then was the Police station, which was attached to the
Offa terminus4.
The construction of the Offa terminus led to the construction of a railway quarters in the area,
which also remained the biggest of its kind in the North-central zone. Apart from this
development, all engineering works were sited in Offa. These comprised Mechanical and
Electrical, Signal and Communication and Civil Engineering5. For effective discharge of duties
in all areas under the Offa terminus, many Offa inhabitants were employed as apprentices to
learn engineering work at the station at that particular time6. (See appendix 3 to 6 for different
125
types of machines erected in Offa terminus for mental and wood works in the station at that
time).
The recreation centre, which was built at Offa terminus for the benefit of the railway employees
later became hot-bed of enjoyment in Offa. The area reserved for the staff, as the quarters till
date, had about 150 houses and served as government area. In addition for the benefit of railway
staff members, the lock-up shops were also built for petty business transactions. Also,
warehouses were built for the storage of goods around the area for easy movement of such goods
from and to various locations in and out of Offa and its environs7. The map below shows the area
covered by the railway station in Offa.
126
Source: NAK, Offa Assessment Report by P.A. Province Office Ilorin8 NAK/266/1918 /I
Another development the railway transport brought to Offa was the construction and expansion
of road transport in the area. In 1726, available evidence shows that during the reign of Oba
Olugbense, the first path was opened along Popo area Offa. It was the only major road that
connected the area to other surrounding communities9. Oral source corroborates the assertion
that, the available roads within the area were built through communal effort. Also, the area under
study was able to connect other adjoining communities through communal based effort. The
event changed when British colonial government started construction and expansion of roads to
annex other towns and villages in the area10. The colonial government built on this communal
effort when the step was taken by Lord Lugard in 1904 to construct a Mule road linking Zaria
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and Zungeru, both in the Northern parts of Nigeria11. The road was later extended from Zaria to
Sokoto. However, the Katsina and Maiduguri route was a major step that paved the way for the
construction of roads in northern Nigeria which connected the railway transport to get goods
from towns and villages in that part.
The foregoing steps taken by the colonial government was a good development for Offa and its
environs. The first motorable road linking Ibadan and Oyo constructed in 1906 led to the
construction of the first motorable road in Offa in 1912. In 1925, the central government of
Nigeria set up a Road Board. By 1926, H.E. Walker, proposed a skeleton trunk-road-system to
link the major administrative centres in the country12. These roads were designed as a frame upon
which the network of secondary roads could be built, thus enabling the general road system to be
considered as a co-coordinated whole rather as jigsaw of small disjointed sections.
Between 1926 and 1951, network of roads maintained by the central government soon rose from
6,150 kms to 9,453 kms. This facilitated the colonial administrative work as well as movements
of goods from towns and villages to the railway stations13. Before the colonial government
started the construction of roads in Offa, availability of railway transport in the area inspired the
following people: Tafa Ilesanmi, Alfa Anb and Adelabu Ijesha to embark on communal effort to
build local bridges across streams to link places such as Igbonna, Ilemona and Igbo-Olotu
Apart from the efforts to improve transportation in the area, the entrance of people like Elegbede
and Y. A. Adebayo facilitated the establishment of National Union of Road Transport Workers
(NURTW) in Offa in 1982 as first of its kind in Kwara State. Shortly after the establishment of
NURTW in Offa, the union got a branch at Ilorin.
5.3 Social Impact of Railway Transport on People of Offa
128
The establishment of the railway transport in Offa facilitated the development of the area. This
could be classified into four categories such as development of infrastructure, inter-group
relations, introduction of Christianity/Western education, and development of Islam and Arabic
education. While Western education came with Christianity into Offa, the establishment of the
railway transport aided the advancement of Islam and Arabic education because Arabic scholars
had established contact with Offa people before the establishment of the railway transport in the
area.
The only major vehicle for this development was the establishment of railway transport in Offa14.
From 1926 to 1964, it is on record that electricity generated by the railway station for its staff at
the terminus was the first of its kind in Offa. This created the opportunity for Offa people to
experience electricity through the generating plant erected in the station, even though, the
electricity was for the staff of the railway station15.
Subsequently, the electricity project for the benefit of Offa community was commissioned in
1964 by the Balewa government. It was Chief J. S. Olawoyin that worked for the successful
completion of electricity supplied by the Federal Government of Nigeria. He was a strong
member of Action Group (AG) under Chief Obafemi Awolowo16.
The commissioning of modern water sources in Offa, soon after the railway station was
established; the Oriwo River was opened and expanded by the railway workers as source of
water for the white men who were the workers of railway station in Offa. A machine was erected
near the source of the water to drill water to official quarters of the White men. This water source
has become a source of water for Ipee people17. The community for the first time in 2012
contributed money to improve the standard of this water source, and effort is being made to
129
extend the supply of water from the source to different parts of the town for the benefit of Ipee
people18. The picture below shows the level of work done by the community at the time of
investigation.
The Side view of Oriwo River First Constructed by Railway Authority and Reconstructed and Expanded by the People of Ipee Community
Source: Reseacher’s field work, 20th April, 201519
Apart from this development, the official residence of the White men was built in Offa using
modern architecture similar design to what was obtainable in Europe at that time. The area
reserved for these white staff has been converted to be government reserved area (GRA) in Offa.
At that time, the areas where those types of houses were built were in Lokoja, which was the first
seat of the colonial government before it was moved to Lagos20.
Similarly, the development of railway transport led to the establishment of hotels around Offa
terminus for the benefit of the staff and travellers. These were Channel 10 Hotel, Queens Hotel,
Liberty Hotel and Central Hotel. As time went on, some of these hotels stopped functioning
again21. Also, in 1947, a General Hospital was built in Offa in the same year the main central
130
mosque was built opposite the king’s palace. Similarly, in 1957, the foundation of Owode market
was laid under Oba Wuraola Isioye. This gave opportunity to the people to have a modern
market located near the railway station with motor parks constructed near the market22. Also, the
construction of the motor parks encouraged the indigenes to construct some roads within the
town and those that linked Offa to her neighbouring towns along Offa-Erin-Ile road and Offa-
Ipee road. These self-motivated projects facilitated business activities in Offa since traders
throng Offa from far and near for business transactions23.
In a related development, the railway station was a source of communication to people of Offa
and its environs became an outpost of the Nigeria Postal services was formally extended to Offa.
In 1957, it was upgraded to a Post Office as another colonial government’s establishment after
the railway transport. The Post Office was transferred to the Ministry of Information when
Nigeria got independence in 1960. The Post Office in Offa has remains a District Head Office
for other towns such as Ijagbo, Ipee, Ajase-Ipo, Erin-Ile, Igbonna, Ilemona and Ira24.
On 13th October, 1935, the socio-cultural group known as Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU) was
established at No. 40, Macallum Street, Ebute-Meta in Lagos by rail men in the locomotive
Department yards around Yaba and Ebute-Meta axis. In 1954, pipe-born water was constructed
through the effort of a strong member ODU. The Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU) has fifty
eight branches spread across the globe. The pioneer members were Jacob Bilewu and S.A
Akintoye. One of the significant objectives of ODU after J.S Olawoyin was appointed
administrative secretary in 1953 was twin-fold viz:
131
●To seek the restoration of the traditional obaship to the Olofa of Offa, a position he enjoyed till
1917, when his second class obaship was withdrawn and replaced with Emirate District
Headship; and
●to fight for a separate Offa administrative division from that of Ilorin division25.
Politically, these two objectives were successfully carried out with compassion as they gave rise
in 1968 to the division of Ilorin Division into three: Ilorin Division, Oyun Division and
Igbomina-Ekiti Division. Oyun Division was to have Offa as its headquarters. Two years later,
the Olofa title was re-inserted into the records of government. The first person to enjoy this title
again was the immediate past Olofa, Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun Ariwajoye 11. He
ascended to the throne as the second class Yoruba Oba26. This was achieved when Brigadier-
General David Lasisi Bamigboye was the Military Governor of Kwara State in 1980. The
position was elevated to “First Class” by the first executive governor of Kwara State, Alhaji
Adamu Attah. The Deputy Governor then was a prominent son of Offa, a lawyer, Chief J.O.A.
Shittu27. These benefits came from the organisation that got its membership from staff of the
railway transport. These were the first set of people who got education through the extension of
railway system to Offa and most of them got employment in railway system.
Also, the extension of railway transport to Offa exposed the people of the area and its environs to
modern political system introduced by the British colonial government. The structure of Offa
station and number of hotels built to accommodate travellers provided good opportunity for
important people as at that time to use Offa as a place to launch political campaign. This made
some political leaders to have strong allies in Offa and its environs. The political figures such as
Herbert Marculy, Chief Albert Ogundipe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and others visited Offa
severally for political agitation based on progressive principle, which was different from the
132
philosophy of the northern element such as Tafawa Balewa and Ahamdu Bello. The existed
relationship between the Yoruba politicians through the railway transport created political rivalry
between Offa and Ilorin since that period. While Offa had established long contact with the
Europeans with their acceptance of Christianity and Western education, the Ilorin people had
affinity with Islam, and education was given priority. This political rivalry continued for long
period and created animosity between the two opposing camp Offa and Ilorin.28 Other issues that
are important is inter-group relations and development of infrastructures
i. Inter-Group Relations
Inter-group relations simply mean the relationships that exist among people from different social,
economic, racial and ethnic groups. They are also regarded as interactions involving members
from different groups and collective behaviour of groups at either intra or inter-organizational
levels29. Intra and inter –group relations increased among different groups of people in Offa as a
result of railway construction due to a number of factors including trade, trade routes and
markets, religion, diplomacy and war30.
This was because as Dioka further observed the railway transport system brought people of
different ethnic groups together to engage in trade and other social activities in Offa. Offa, thus,
remained a hub of business in Kwara State as could be attested with the size of Owode market.
E. M. Etinosa observes that inter-group relations existed among the different multiethnic peoples
in Nigeria from early times in the area of agriculture, bronze technology, trade in slaves and
goods, crafts, etc. across the Niger-Benue rivers which serves as important trade routes for inter-
group relations and contact31.
133
In the case of what became Nigeria, prior to the amalgamation of 1914, the establishment of
railway transport had virtually amalgamated the entity later called Nigeria through the railway
network. For instance, connection of Lagos Government Railway and Kano-Baro Railway
brought the North and South together as an entity. According to Babafemi:
There were presence of Hausa and Igbo migrant workers, and also after Hausa
established themselves in a particular location with arrow head directing the
affairs of Hausas. And authority was recognized by Olofa of Offa (The king)32.
None of these ethnic groups ever lived in isolation from the Offa people. There are historical
evidences of interaction through migration, conquest and, more importantly, trade. These factors
resulted to inter-marriages and cultural similarities at times through borrowing. These common
features of existence often promoted unity and peace33. Basically, inter-group relations usually
take the form of political, cultural, social and economic connection. It is important to note that
various groups occupying Nigeria had been where they are since many years ago and
relationship between neighbours far and near had been based on any of these factors34. This also
was the case in Offa before the coming of the railway transport. However, the coming of railway
transport enhanced the movement and migration of different ethnic groups from different works
of life to Offa. The interactions between different ethnic groups led to inter-marriages between
the Offa people and the migrants35.
ii. Development of Infrastructure in Offa
It is important to note, also, that the expansion of the railway station in Offa resulted in the
establishment of a residence for the White railway workers in the area. Before 1944, the
residence for the White workers was located at Atan-Oba. However, with the expansion of the
Offa railway station, the residence for the White workers was relocated to Afelele area of Offa.
134
An oral source maintains that the building of the residential for the White workers gave rise to
the first modern houses in Offa. In this reserved area, the number of houses there is about
(fifteen). Although, the railway staff are not living there again because some of the houses were
sold during Chief Olusegun Obasnajo civilian administration 1999-2007 to different people. This
action resulted to litigation between the buyers and Nigerian railway Authority, when Musa
Yar’dua administration commenced its programme on the railway transport revitalisation in
2008. These houses were the first of its kind in Offa and its environs as at that time36.
Significantly, these houses became reference points for modern house that were built in 1960s
shortly after independence. The elite then learnt from the architectural design of these houses as
a model for their own permanent residences. The area where these are located is known as
government reserved area in Offa. The important personalities in Offa are building modern
houses there. The pictures below show the samples of houses that are still standing in the area.
Meanwhile some of the houses are being occupied by displaced people from other areas or
people who have no place to live.
Residential Quarters for the Railway Staff in Offa
135
Source: Researcher’s field work 21st May, 201537
136
Another aspect of infrastructural development was the introduction of police post in the station,
thereby introducing modern method of security of lives and properties into Offa. It was the first
major security posts in Offa as at that time38. Other infrastructures, which included:
a. The Installation of NEPA in Offa: The establishment of the Offa railway station led to the
installation of electricity in the area. Initially, the light was not supplied by the NEPA; it
was generated by machine in the railway station for the benefit of the railway staff
residing within the railway premises. Thereafter, National Electric Power Authority
(NEPA) then, connected Offa to the national greed. It is on record that the foundation for
the electric light in Offa was laid by the railway station in Offa. The first Dam which was
created for steam engine later turned to a river. It is called Afelele River in Offa. It was
created by the railway authority for the steam engine used by the railway then.
b. Turn Around of a Fearful Area in Offa: Before the establishment of the construction of
rail line in Offa, the area called Igbo-Oro was regarded as a buffer zone (no go area) in
the afternoon and in the middle of the night. However, following the construction of rail
line and construction of the railway station at Offa the area called Igbo-Oro was annexed
by Railway Corporation for the construction of rail line39. People could move freely on
the part of that area called Igbo-Oro.
c. Establishment of Postal Services Centre in Offa: This made communication and mail
delivery system easier after the establishment of the railway station, an arm of the railway
station in Offa was responsible for the postal services. The office responsible for the Mail
Delivery is still visible in the station up till now40. Below is the picture of the Parcels
Office used for mail delivery services at that time.
137
Post Services Office inside Railway Station at Offa
Source: Researcher’s field work, 12th December, 201541
The Parcels Office which was located within the railway station the only means of disseminating
information to Offa and the adjoining communities. The parcel office was later replaced by a
Postal Agency and still later upgraded to a Post Office in 1957. The Post Office served Ijagbo,
Ipee, Ira, Igbona, Igosun, Erin-Ile, Inaja, Igbaja (now under Ifelodun LGA), Ajase-Ipo (now
Irepodun LGA) both in Kwara State of Nigeria. The Postal Office was later upgraded to District
Headquarters for these places even to date42.
Apart from this, following the establishment of the railway station at Offa, a Health Care Centre
was established in 1947 to provide health services to both the railway and the inhabitants of the
area43. The Health Centre remained the only government hospital servicing Offa people and its
environs for very long time.
138
The interest of Offa people in both Western and Islamic education, which railway transport had
exposed them to as a result of the early contact with the Christian and Islamic scholars made the
indigenes of Offa under the umbrella of OFFA CLUB, to be involved in developmental issues.
This was evident in the commissioning of township library on October 22nd, 1988. This
development contributed immensely to the development of education because students began to
have access to sources of wisdom with selective ease44.
Development of Game in Offa: As a result of the improvement of social activities in Offa after
the establishment of a railway station in the area, the railway authority established a football club
known as Railway African Football Club for the benefit of its staff and football lovers in the
area. The football club became an avenue for home-grown footballers in Offa45. The club also
acquired a piece of land for a football pitch, it was a major project in sport that brought important
changes in youth development in terms of supporting activities46.
5.3.1 Introduction and Spread of Christianity and Western Education
The establishment of the railway station in Offa aided the introduction and spread Christianity in
the area with evident impact on the people’s traditional religion, with acceptance of Christianity,
relinquished their traditional religion. In Chapter Three, it was mentioned that Offa had 16
sources of water. Each source had priests who were the custodians of the rivers. The regular
services to the goddess of the rivers carried out by these priests for peace and tranquility in
Offa.47 Christian missionary Evangelists preached against this movement, and many worshippers
and followers of these gods and goddess who accepted Christianity relinquished the doctrine of
the gods. This ushered in new method of worship in a Christian way as well as the abandonment
of their traditional worships48.
139
The first set of people that accepted the Christian religion were Mr. Omidele Akande and
Onawola Oguntoye of Rotimi’s and Alagure’s compounds respectively. Mr. Onawola started
school in 1909 and this led to the building of first CMS House in the same year (see appendix 7).
Following the conversion of Mr. Onawola, Christianity was accepted by many people49.
Although, the acceptance of Christianity did not, come easily, the conversion of many came as a
result of the tenacious efforts put forward by people such as Mr Leke Ayoade and Oloyede
Toriola who came to Offa in 1912. Similarly, the effort made by Mr. Gabriel Bolarinwa from
1912 to 1918 contributed immensely to the growth and development of Christianity during the
period50. All these efforts were made possible and easy through the extension of the railway from
Oshogbo, which was the hot-bed of Christianity then. Reverend Wole Omoniyi took over from
Bolarinwa in 1918 till 1932 when the Christian religion had become very well rooted in Offa51.
The introduction of Christianity and Western education provided the opportunity to the Offa
people to learn English language and culture. It is important to note that Western education
accompanied the religion of Christianity in the early time when the religion was first introduced.
This relationship put Otoni Nduka’s assertion in the right perspective with his assertion that two
basic factors motivated Christian missionary education in Nigeria. According to him:
It must be kept in mind that the church undertook the business of education not
because it regarded education as good in itself, but because it found that it could
not do its own proper work without giving the adherent and especially the clergy
as much of formal learning as was required for the study of the sacred writing and
for the performance of their religious duties52.
This was aimed at removing language barrier encountered by the White missionaries. They took
it upon themselves to train the indigenes of Offa to serve as their future workers and interpreters.
140
The effort at training future workers and interpreters later became an asset for the colonial
administrators.
Nduka furthers his argument by saying that:
The demand for clerks and literate personnel and the desire for salaried jobs on
the other hand, motivated our educational system. The other stimulant, of course,
was the desire for the acquisition of European cultural traits. The latter desire
more often than not led to the unethical, sometimes slavish imitation of the
whiteman53.
The desire of the Christian missionaries was not to make scientific and technological education
available to Nigerians as a vital tool for national development but to provide basic
communication channel between the missionary and natives. The Europeans strictly adhered
only to the type of education that could help them to produce people who could interpret the
work of missionaries54. To achieve this, Mr. Onawola was sent to school in Oyo in 1909 upon his
conversion to Christianity. Other indigenes of Offa such as Oloyedde Toriola were later sent to
school in Oyo; Oloyede Toriola became the first Offa indigenous person to become a qualified
teacher in 191255.
The expansion of the activities of Christian Missionaries in Offa resulted in the expansion of
Western education in the area as well. For instance, as soon as the C.M.S Church was established
in 1909, thereafter in 1912, St Mark’s Cathedral Primary School Offa was built to facilitate
evangelical works of the pastors56. Similarly, many educators and teachers were sent along with
the pastors to Offa for the purpose of educating the citizenry for easy conversion of the indigenes
to Christianity57. Among the teachers were Mr. Toriola Oloyede, Boboye Tokunbo, Mr. E. A.
Fadipe and Alfred Oyekanmi. This was a landmark in the propagation of Western education and
Christianity in Offa. This gave early opportunity to Offa people to have Western education
141
which also served as a foundation for Offa to remain the rallying point of Western education in
Kwara State. While Ilorin relied solidly on Koranic education, Offa people were at the forefront
of Western education58.
The acceptance of Western education led to the establishment of several schools in Offa such as
Ogidiri Cathedral Primary School (1924), First Baptist Primary School (1932) and Wesley
Primary School (1934). Interestingly, the last school was located inside the railway yard and has
remained there up to the present. The first old Northern Regional Community Secondary School,
later called Offa Grammar School was founded in Offa on the 13th February, 1943, in the
premises of Iyeru-Okin Church. It started with only eighteen students. Thereafter, a member of
Iyeru-Okin Church was appointed as a tutor by Rev. Ludlow. The Offa Grammar School (OGS)
operated in the premises of the church for two years before it was moved to its permanent site
with three teachers under the leadership of J. B. Olafimihan, who later became as the principal of
the school in 1949. The school was taken over by government in 1949 because it was the only
community school serving the interest of the north central59. The establishment of Offa Grammar
School was a giant step for the Offa people in the area of development of Western education. It
was equally a great achievement to have schools established and supervised by the indigenous
people even with presence of the White men and teachers from other African countries who were
employed for effective delivery of quality education. All these developments are linked to the
establishment of the railway transport in Offa60.
5.3.2 Spread of Islam, Koranic Schools and Acceptance of Western Education
Like in the introduction of Christianity and Western education, the extension of the railway
transport and a railway station at Offa contributed immensely to the spread of Islam, Koranic
schools and acceptance of western education in the area as well. It also led to the building of a
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standard mosque in 1948, which was first of its kind in Offa and its environs (see appendix 8).
Although, Islam had entered Offa since 1820, during the reign of Oba Amodu Agaka, the
thirteenth Oba of Offa, the religion was not strongly rooted until in 1888. This notwithstanding,
it is very important to state here that from 1820 to 1907, five out of ten Oba (Kings) who came to
the throne were Muslims. Among these were Oba Amodu Agaka, Oba Olumorin, Oba Yusuf
Wuraola Isioye, Oba Mustafa Oyewunmi and Oba Mustafa Olawore Olanipekun61.
It is important to note, too, that among the Islamic scholars who spread Islam in Offa were Alhaji
Dundu, Alfa Aminu Aromokanla, Alfa Keke Agba, Alfa Bello Sakosi, Alfa Baba Jimoh Naibi
and Alfa Ismaila Arogun62. These were the first set of Alfa (Islamic clerics) who worked
assiduously for the spread of Islam in Offa and its environs.
The railway transport in Offa was one of the major factors that enhanced the spread of Islam. It
was used by the Islamic scholars to move from one location to the other for the spread of the
religion. By 1924, the Offa converts had started to embark on pilgrimage to Mecca. It is record
that the first person that trekked to Mecca was Alhaji Muhammed Popo in 1924, and he returned
to Offa three years later (1927)63. An available oral data maintains that people were in the habit
of tracking to Mecca at that time. They would join the train from Offa to Maiduguri. Thence, the
journey to the Holy land began properly by using donkeys or legs, where necessary, to get to
Mecca. Also, whenever they arrived back home, people would troop to the railway station to
welcome them with drums and dance from house to house. It is believed that the Offa people
opened the way for others in this direction. The Muslims in other towns and villages surrounding
Offa, such as Ira, Igbona, Ipee, Igosun and others embraced this type of journey, which increased
acceptability of Islam and its practice amongst them64.
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Furthermore, the establishment of railway transport also encouraged the spread of Tijaniyah and
Qodriyah Movements in Offa. These were strong Islamic sects devoted to serious Muslim
prayers. Tijaniyah members established contacts with Offa through Alhaji Muhammed Popo.
Among other followers of this particular sect in Offa were Alhaji Hammed Bukunlu, Alhaji
Abdul Azeez Owolabi, Alhaji Imom Shitu and Alhaji Mustapha Abuta. These people were in
constant contacts with Ahmada Tijaniya (the founder of Tijaniyyat Movement from Senegal)
through the use of the railway transport from Lagos to the Northern part of the country. It is on
record that representatives of Khalifat Ahmada Tijaniyah visited Offa severally. This was done
to rally support for the Tijaniyah Movement within and outside Offa. Alhaji Muritala Dundu was
the first indigene of Offa to travel to Baghdad, Iraq in 1966 with Alfa Kano, the arrow head of
Qodriyah Movement in Nigeria. He traveled to Kano by railway. Thence, they all traveled to
Baghdad, to pay visit to Shehu Abdul Quadri (the founder of Quadriyah Movement
Worldwide)65.
The frequent visits of different Islamic scholars to Offa as a result of accessibility through
railway provided opportunities for the indigenes to mingle with other people from far Middle
East. It created opportunities for people such as Alhaji Jimoh Mustafa to travel to Saudi Arabia
in 1971 for Islamic Education. He was the first indigene of Offa to travel down to Saudi Arabia
for the purpose of learning. The second person was Abdul Razaq Mustafa Balogun’s compound
in 1975. Others Offa indigenes started going to Cairo later for the same purpose. These sets of
people included Alhaji Abdul Ameed, Alhaji Ganiyu Badmos and Malima Morilhatu66. Also, Dr.
Kamaldeen Ali from Ojomu’s compound went to Saudi in 1979 and he returned to Offa in 1983.
Generally, the development of the railway transport in Offa exposed Offa people to other parts of
the Islamic world. This facilitated the development of many Islamic organisations and schools in
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Offa. Among such organisations are Tawakalitu Muslim Youth Offa, Al-bbab Islam Offa,
Rusidullahi Lislam Offa and Ithad Muslim Youth Organisatio. The first Islamic Asalatu was
formed in Offa in 193067.
Like the Christian missionaries who established Western education in Offa earlier, the Muslims
also established schools such as Ansaru-Deen Primary School, 1958, Ansaru-Deen College,
1972, Nawaru-Deen Primary School, 1974, Ansarul-L-Islam Primary School, 1977, and Nawaru-
Deen College 1981. The coming of the railway transport in the area and subsequent convergence
of both Christian and Muslim Societies in the area, these emerged a competitive spirit among
followers of the religions in terms of building schools for pupils. The number of schools for both
primary and secondary education in Offa soon rose to about sixty excluding private schools,
while the number of tertiary institutions rose to six68.
Because of the immeasurable benefits of education, the railway transport is regarded as the major
industry that changed the fortunes of Offa people and its environs. It is a colonial heritage to
Offa, which must be held in high esteem by indigenes in the area. The establishment of the
railway transport cannot be separated from the growth and development of Western education in
Offa69.
The acceptance of Islamic religion and Christianity by the indigenes of Offa drastically reduced
the practice of traditional religions. Before then, the people worshiped idols like Ogun (god of
iron), Sango (god of thunder), Oya (wife of Sango), Obatala (the great Yoruba goddess), Eṣu
(devil), Saponna (god of small pox) and many more. According to Mudashir Aifari, he said there
was a particular house called Oluokun’s compound, there was a man who even worshipped
Sanpona (god of small pox). The account maintains that the man had a very big black dog which
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served as a watchdog for the goddess. It was believed that nobody dared blew a whistle around
12-2pm, and where it happened, it attracted a serious penalty of smallpox disease in the family of
the offender. This continued for a long period of time, until the late 1950. It is believed that it
was only with the acceptance of Islam by a strong member of the family called Alfa Keke, which
put an end to this heinous act around Oke-Oko in Offa. This comes as a great benefit and relief to
the people of this area70. This buttresses the European missionary argument in Nigeria that says:
Islam carries with its own religion sanctions, while the animism and fetish of the pagan
represents no system of ethics and no principle of conduct71.
Generally, the extension of the railway transport to Offa did not only facilitate the spread of
Islam in the area, but also had attendant effects such as the expansion of Islamic education in the
area. This was occasioned by the establishment of both primary and secondary schools by
Islamic bodies. This development affected the worship of traditional religions.
5.4 Economic Impact of Railway Transport in Offa and its Environs
The establishment of the railway transport was a turning point in the economic development of
Offa because of immigrants. The influx of different sets of people into Offa changed the mode
and level of production. This expanded the level of production which, in turn, changed the socio-
economic life of the Offa people72.
Generally, along with the expansion of railway transport, there was improvement in trade, and
agricultural activities. Trading activities to distant places like Kano, Maiduguri, Kakuri, Bauchi,
Lagos, were facilitated by the railway transport. It enabled Offa inhabitants to engage in intra-
city and inter-state trade. Many people from the coastal areas came forth with their goods in
exchange for the varieties of agricultural products they needed for export to Europe73.
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First, the establishment of the railway transport in Offa brought about a central market in the area
which has remained one of the largest markets in Kwara State. The railway transport increased
the quantity of goods carried from Offa to other parts of Nigeria, especially the supply of sweet
potato. The production of sweet potato, in particular, rose from subsistence level to commercial
level whereby traders bought the product in large quantity and carried to places such as Lagos,
Ibadan, among others, where the supply of the commodity was scarce74. Thus, the establishment
of railway transport in Offa facilitated the following activities:
a) Low-Cost of Transport
The railway transport system in Offa made the movement of goods for internal and long distance
trades easier. Rail transport offers the lowest cost of transport. The establishment of the railway
system contributed immensely not only to the colonial economy but also to traders who supplied
farm produce to the Europeans. With the railway station at Offa, traders shifted attention to Offa
for the purpose of enjoying easy and cheap transfer of their goods to chosen locations.
Interestingly, it was the surest means of connecting Lagos through Oshogbo. This, to a large
extent, internationalised the economy of Offa.
b) Storage of Facilities for Manufacture Goods
The railway corporation provided large storage facilities for manufactured goods, which was
referred to as “goods shield” as an important source of income for the railway corporation. The
“goods shield” was located around Offa station. These stores were used by large companies like
United Africa Company (UAC), Paterson Zochonis (PZ) and John Holt. They served as places
where goods were distributed to the customers from Offa. This situation drew the attention of
many people to Offa before the establishment of Owode market, and after the establishment, it
continued to thrive as a base for the supply of manufacturing goods75. It provided great
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opportunities for the wholesalers to buy goods in large quantities and distribute them to the
retailers within the area at cheaper rates. This also hastens the formation of modern market in
Offa, which became a beehive of the people from towns and villages surrounding Offa after the
formation.
c) Job Opportunities
It is on record that railway parastatal in Nigeria was the major employer of labour during the
colonial economy. With a railway station in Offa, many companies came in to do business,
provided employment opportunities to the indigenes. Many of the people were employed as
railway station workers. Between 1912 -1955, the estimated figure of the employees with the
Railway Corporation was around 42,000 in Nigeria, out of which the Offa terminus had 2,317
employees. With seven departments, namely;
i. Signal and Communications
ii. Operation & Cooperation
iii. Civil Engineering
iv. Mechanical
v. Welfare
vi. Mechanical Diesel and
vii. Ticketing.
These departments increased to nine in 1944 when the Nigerian Railway Station was converted
to railway terminus76. More importantly, indirect jobs were created by these sectors with large
numbers of private lock-up shops built along railway terminus servicing the workers and
passengers. Even though these shops are still functioning, the patronage has dropped drastically
because of the low level of activities in and around the station. Also, the workshops built by the
Railway Corporation still have positive impact on the people of Offa. Majority of the people who
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became welders in Offa in the early period of the railway transport in Offa learnt this work
through the railway staff77.
Apart from the job opportunities created for the Offa indigenes in the railway station, people
such as Sanni Abba, Oladejo Balogun and Abdul Foreman, served as contractors who supplied
various goods to the railway station. This development increased the financial capacity of many
people who became first set of business men who proved their worth in Offa through their
relations with the White men who controlled the railway transport then. Apart from the
indigenes, others who were non-indigenes had equal opportunity to interact with White people
on business transactions and also made various investments in Offa78.
Another important aspect of the impact of the railway transport in Offa was tax payment to Olofa
by the staff of the NRC. This contributed immensely to the development of Offa town and its
environs. The Offa District Head was saddled with the responsibility of tax collection after a
long drawn battle between Ilorin and Offa over who should collect the tax on behalf of the
Lieutenant Governor. The authority given to the Offa District Head to collect the tax was
contained in the letter, Ref. 241P/1917 dated 25/9/17 It states that:
The Lieutenant Governor has ruled that clerks and artisans in permanent
government employment are not liable for tax on their official salaries but labourers
are. This ruling applies to people living in ordinary townships but presumably also
applies to people living in ordinary towns. His Honourable, the Lieutenant
Governor has further ruled in his telegram S.6 dated 7/8/18 to Resident Ilorin that
the minimum tax on railway labourers should be 6/- per annum. I have therefore
extracted from Mr. Nill,s list all railway employees who are liable to tax. Their
names, salaries and proposed tax appear in the letter. I propose that these men shall
pay direct to the Olofa, District Head of Offa not through the ward-head (Masu-
ungwa). The Olofa would be given a copy79.
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This marked the beginning of tax collection, which impacted positively on the development of
Offa and its environs. One of the major areas of development was the development of major
roads from Offa to Erin-Ile in 192080.
Interestingly, there other important economic activities after the establishment of the railway
transport, sales of parrot feather (Iko-odidere), was very common among the Offa people. The
feather could be found in large quantities in Ghana. The development of railway transport
facilitated the movement of Offa people to Gold Coast (Ghana). As a result of this, large
numbers of people engaged in this trade. Such people were Alhaji Salami Adekunle Ado, Alhaji
Bilesanmi Raheem, Alhaja Abibat Salami and Alhaji Abdulmojeed Aifari. The business in parrot
feathers was very lucrative because the use of the feathers was very common amongst the
herbalists in Yoruba land. The supply of the feathers went beyond Offa through the railway
transport81.
Another important economic development that Offa experienced after the establishment of
railway transport was blacksmithing. They produced iron implements used by the people in such
activities as hunting, agriculture, warfare and woodworking. Although, it is difficult to ascertain
precisely where and how these professional blacksmiths got the raw material like iron for their
works, available oral source suggested that the Offa people relied on Oyo people to get iron and
raw material82.
Before the establishment of railway system, the usual practice was melting and bending iron with
the shell of the palm. Different machines were erected in the station for iron and wood work.
New methods of handling these works came with railway system and people learnt the use of
these new technologies. Supply of iron materials for the production was easy as a result of the
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railway transport. Large numbers of people were employed to assist the engineers in the
construction of metals and this gave opportunity to the indigenes to learn new ways of producing
other items such as iron box, iron bed, iron chairs and other valuable things which they could
make from iron83.
Hospitality was another form of business that emerged in Offa after the establishment of the
railway transport. Although, provision was made for travelers in the railway station to have a
brief sojourn while on transit. But alternative places were provided by individuals (businessmen)
outside the station, and this led to the establishment of Channel 10 Hotel, Queens Hotel and
Liberty Hotel. Although some of these hotels stopped functional again. Then it was a lucrative
business because of the large number of visitors who usually throng Offa at that time for one
reason or the other84.
The first place where bread was displayed in Offa was at the railway station. Then, if anybody
wanted to eat bread in Offa, it was sold right inside the station where it was called “buffet” . This
“buffet” was reserved for the sales of bread. Both travelers and inhabitants visited the place to
purchase bread. As time went, they display little items such as biscuits, bread, cigarettes and
other necessary items for the use of travellers. However, the displayed of bread was the only item
visible in the buffet then. Oral tradition could not ascertain where the production of bread came
from that time85. Go to page 149 for the picture of the BUFFET showing the items sold in the
station.
151
The Buffet Where the Bread First Sold in Offa
Source: Reseacher’s field work, April 4, 201586
The markets in the different location at Offa then were Popo, Oja Oba, Sango, Ogidiri and
Arogun markets. There was no major market before the advent of railway transport in Offa. But
the major market was the railway market where different sets of people converged to sell
different types of goods. It was the major drive for the big market in Offa at that moment, until
the establishment of a modern market known as Owode market.
The Establishment of Owode Modern Market and Its Impact on Offa from 1957 – 2008
The creation of mini-markets at the railway station after the establishment of railway transport
precipitated the establishment of Owode modern market, which remained one of the biggest in
Kwara State.87 The increase in the number of mini markets, in particular, resulted from the
people’s efforts to satisfy their needs. With the establishment of the railway station in Offa,
many mini-markets were established by the indigenes in around the station. Generally, many
more people were inspired to get involve in one form of business or the other.88
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It is very important to state, therefore, that the development of Owode modern market was a
giant stride in the economic development of Offa and its environs. This occurred during the reign
of Oba Wuraola Isioye who ascended the throne on 5th January, 1937 as the twenty-one (21st)
Olofa of Offa. In 1957, the foundation of modern market was laid by Oba Wuraola Isioye. As
oral tradition could not ascertain the actual number of people present in this foundation
ceremony, it was mentioned that name of the market was coined by Oba Wuraola Isioye
himself.89 At the commissioning ceremony of the market, oral evidence said, the king led the
commissioning and the following statement was uttered at the vent that day as follows:
Certainly, we laid the foundation of a new market in Offa. We want people of
Offa to come in large number to buy and sell in this marketAlso large
numbers of people from far and near were encouraged to take part actively in
this market for the development and growth of Offa. Henceforth, the name of
this market shall be called Owode (money has come).90
What really the Owode market an enormous economic asset to the people was its different
components. The market comprised the following sections: provision stores, cloth sellers’ Stores,
local herbal Stores, palm oil and groundnut oil stores, local powder stores and farmer location
Apart from the fact that many people converged in Owode market for business activities
especially on Owode market day, many Offa indigenes were provided with the opportunity to
engage in business activities. In addition, many people and different groups of like-minds come
together to form unions such as Yam Seller Association, which buys tubers of yam in large
quantities and convey them to Lagos for sale.
Generally, the railway transport in Offa created the opportunity for traders to buy in tons or large
quantities and send through the railway wagons. The opportunity created by the railway to carry
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bulky goods from one location to the other led to the establishment of medium scale industries.
Eventually, big companies were also established by individuals, which created job opportunities
for the inhabitants91. Among the companies were Okin Biscuits and Okin Foam Industries, which
were established in 1980 and 1981 respectively by Chief Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye, and
Noble Breweries in 1984 by Kwara state government. Thereafter, the owner of Okin Biscuits
bought 60% share of the company from the State Government. Another private company known
as Labande Cereals Limited was established in 1996 for the production of Okin Malt and
Sorghum products. These companies have remained the pride of Offa because of the population
they attracted to Offa. Unfortunately, these companies are shadows of their former selves
because of the infrastructural decay in Offa, especially the collapse of the railway transport and
shortage of power supply92. The analysis below shows the number of staffs each company had
when the following companies were producing and available workers as at the time the
companies stopped production around 2012.
Table 3
Staff Strenght of of the Companys Available in Offa during the Booming Period of Railway TransportS/N
Company Staff strengthDuring the Peak Period 1980- 1990
Staff strengthDuring the off Peak Period
1 Okin Biscuits 500 102 Okin Foam 45 None3 Okin Malt 200 54 Noble Beer 275 None5 Olalomi Carpet 50 NoneSource: Reseacher’s field work, 27th December, 201693
In spite of the benefits derived from the establishment of the railway transport in Offa and the
development of the area, it is imperative to analyse the ugly experiences of Offa people as a
154
result of railway transport extension to the area. Before the extension of the railway transport to
Offa, the traditional value of people and cultural beliefs was paramount to Offa people. As
railway transport brought close ties between the indigenes and the migrants which led to
development. This development brought some level of cultural conflicts since the culture of the
Offa people was not observed by the settlers who considered it to be obsolete, like inter-mural
burial94. Demolition of family compound for the railway network and building of official
residence affected the belief of consulting progenitor among the Offa people since they could not
have access to their ancestral homes because their abode were acquired by the railway authority
when the construction of the railway line began. Many people affected by the construction were
relocated to different areas far from their ancestral home. The most affected family then was
Gedegbe compound because they held large portion of land acquired for railways in Offa. Lately,
the family (Gedegbe) resulted to litigation with railway authority. However, the case was lost
because they could not produce cogent paper to support their case in the court of law. The
acquisition of other family compounds along rail line led to decline in the practice of consulting
their progenitor through grave95. The coming of Christianity brought an end to this practice as
new religion was accepted by the same people who believe in this tradition. As Christianity was
gaining ground the traditional values started waning gradually.
Also, hotel business was alien to Offa people. However, the construction of rail line led to the
establishments of hotel business for the benefit of travellers in Offa. First among the hotels built
in Offa was Channel 10, Queens hotel and liberty hotel. Few out of these hotels are not operating
again because the owners have died. One of the major anti-social effects associated with the
establishment of hotel business was the promotion of prostitution in the area. Prior to this time,
the use of women as commercial sex workers was alien to Offa people. It was a sacrilege to see a
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matured woman having sex with a man not known to the family of the woman. Basically, the
coming of hotel business brought immoral acts, which relegated the Offa custom to the
background, despite the fact that both Christianity and Islam vehemently preached against this
ugly behaviour. The activities of both religions including traditional worshippers could not stop
the immoral acts. It spread like wild fire when different structures of hotel and relaxation centres
were built96.
Most of the people engaged in the prostitution were the non-Yorubas who came
for commercial purpose. No particular person could be mentioned in particular.
Also, after the Nigerians were sent away from Ghana, most of the Ghanaians who
came into the town after that period were engaged in prostitution97.
There is no doubt that the monetisation of Offa economy as a result of railway activities in the
area encouraged this filthy business. Among other factors was the large presence of immigrants
and railway workers who had enough money to patronise and entices young women. More so,
the economic relationship with the Ghanaians long before the coming of railway transport in
Offa played a major role in the mass movement of Ghanaians to Offa during the economic
hardship in Ghana. Poverty and non-regard for cultural values also played a crucial role in this
unwholesome attitude of the migrants98.
The case of theft and robbery was so rampant after the establishment of railway transport. The
old method of arresting such people was no longer effective. Initially, any cases concerning theft
and robbery were being handled by compound head. If the case was high it would be referred to
King for final adjudication. Before the coming of railway transport, the system of governance
was strictly based on communalism and this gave power to local chiefs to sort out issues between
people. All these powers were taken over by the district head reporting to the province officers.
156
This made some cases that ought to have settled by head of the compound or king extremely
difficult. More importantly, robbery took different dimension when the area witnessed large
number of immigrants who were not indigene of Offa. Theft was no longer sacrilegious but a
mere criminal case that could be handled by local police.
Furthermore, land dispute was not common among the people of Offa before the extension of
railway transport to Offa. Acquisition of land and payment of compensation created hatred
among people particularly the affected families whose lands were acquired by the railway
authority. After the payment of compensation, some people felt they were short-changed in the
process. This feeling created unnecessary animosity within the family members. For the first,
land that was regarded as family affairs turned to commercial arrangement. People started buying
land for building houses. It later extends to farming, where people were renting their farm land to
farmers, which was not the case in Offa before the coming of railway transport99.
Another aspect was the collapse of the railway transport. During the booming period of railway
transport many lock-shops were built for the traders. These shops served the railway staff and
people for commercial purpose. The number of lock-up shops in the station is estimated at
ninety. During the hay days of railway transport, the shops were occupied by different categories
of traders with varieties of goods available for sales. About fifty of out of these shops are closed
down, the remaining are being occupied by petty traders. There are other small outlets such as
kiosks built along adjoining road to the station. Although, the actual figure could not be given,
these kiosks are being occupied by traders for different purposes. No doubt, the collapse of
railway transport has hindered constant flow of business within the area100. The area, which used
to be the hub of business and place of enjoyment for the travellers and indigenes has been
157
deserted. The hooligans have taken over the place for criminal activities particularly the Railway
Club.
In view of the above analysis, the establishment of the railway transport contributed immensely
to the diminished of the cultural value and it introduced socio vices that were not known to the
area before the extension of railway system to Offa101. In spite of this above mentioned negatives
tendencies, Offa and its environs could not discard the benefits that came with the extension of
the railway transport. The coming of railway transport brought rapid development to the area in
all ramifications.
5.6 Conclusion
The chapter captures the impact of the railway transport on the socio-economic development of
Offa from 1907 – 2008. Among the indices of the economic development was the establishment
of a railway station with official residences of the railway staff. This contributed to the provision
of infrastructures in and around the railway station for the benefit of both the railway staff and
natives.
The establishment of mini-markets became railway market. This gave rise to the establishment of
a modern market, which remained one of the biggest markets in Kwara State. One other
important issue discussed was provision of employment for the indigenes and non-indigenes.
The development of road networks linking to the railway station for transportation of products is
fully analysed.
The formation of indigenes’ union by the early railway staff who were the natives of Offa with
clear vision to salvage the town from oppressive acts of political party in the area and usage of
same association for the progress of Offa.
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Emergence of the trade unions to handle the purchase and sale of farm produce, on the other
hand, among the social impact of the railway system was the building of terminus which was a
significant project in the construction of railway line across Offa. Among the socio benefits
derived from this laudable project are the following:
(a) Provision of electricity to Offa for the welfare of the railway staff.
(b) The provision of modern water source serviced by generators.
(c) Introduction of modern architecture in Offa used for the construction of the railway
quarters and part of the area became the GRA.
(d) Introduction of Christianity and Western education in Offa
(e) Spread of Islam, Koranic schools and general acceptance of Western education in Offa.
(f) Introduction of foreign cultures (European/Arab) in Offa.
With all these benefits, the chapter captures the negativity of the railway transport to the study
area. It affected the traditional values of the people and other related issues. In spite of this
negativity mentioned, the benefits of railway transport outweighed its negative impact on the
people.
159
Endnotes
1. M. Abubakar and T. Hundeyin, “Perspective on Political Economy” in Remi Anifowose
& Francis Enemuo (ed.) Elements of Politics, (Lagos: Sam Iroanusi Publications, 2000),
p.41
2. Oral Interview with Arowolo Amuda, Retired Civil Servant, Beleore’s Compound Offa,
67years, 02-02-2015
3. Oral Interview with Rasheed Bablola Oganla , Driver, Oganla’s Compound Offa, 59years,
02-04-2015
4. Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel , Railway Staff, Operation Engineer
Railway Station Offa, 51years, 06-04-2015
5. Extracted from Commercial Training Manual for Kwara State Staff on Kwara State Mass
6. Transit Train Service at Nigerian Railway Corporation Ilorin, Kwara State from 16th –
24th June, 2011
7. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
8. NAK /266/1918 I: Offa Assessment Report by P.A. Province Office Ilorin 1918 p30
9. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
(Ilorin: NNI Publications Ltd. 2009), p.37
10. Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel, Operation Engineer, 50 years, Railway
Station Offa, May 20, 2014
11. NAK /SNP7 2440/1907: Report on Railway Routes Connecting The Lagos Line With
Egga by Percy Girouard, p15
12. J.B. Olafimihan Revd. Iwe Itan Offa, Ibadan, p.13
13. Transport Infrastructure and Economic Growth in Nigeria, www.checkinternet.com
Retrieved July 19, 2015
14. Oral Interview with Rasheed Babalola, Driver, Oganla’s Compound Offa, 59years, 02-04-
2015
15. Extracted from Written Document Preserved by Iyeru-Okin African Church of Offa,
Retrieved on May 23, 2015
16. Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel, Operation Engineer, 50 years, Railway
Station Offa, May 20, 2014
160
17. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.4
18. Oral Interview with Andrew Opaleye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
19. Oral Interview with Saka Busari, Retired Civil Servants, 67years, Aro’s Compound Ipee,
May 21, 2014
20. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years May 21,2015
21. The Role of Rail and Other Transport Systems in the Colonial Period,
www.academia.edu/... Extracted July 19, 2015
22. Oral Interview with Saliu Kareem, Retired railway Worker, 75years, Aro’s Compound
Ipee, May 21, 2014
23. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo, A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.162
24. Oral Interview with Rasheed Babalola, Driver, 60years, Oganla’s Compound Offa, 07-
02-2015
25. Oral Interview with Olu Funsho, Civil Servants, NIPOST Office, Olofa Way, Owode
Market, Offa, 41years May 20, 2015
26. K. K. Omoloso, Ijakadi: A Publication of Offa Descendants’ Union, ODU @ 70 A Great
Beginning… PROMISING FUTURE Vol. 1 No. 4, November, 2005, p.10
27. K. K. Omoloso, Ijakadi: A Publication of Offa Descendants’ Union, ODU @ 70 A Great
Beginning… PROMISING FUTURE Vol. 1 No. 3, November, 2005, p.12
28. K. K. Omoloso, Ijakadi: A Publication of Offa Descendants’ Union, ODU @ 70 A Great
Beginning… PROMISING FUTURE Vol. 1 No. 4, November, 2005, p.14
29. Oral Interview with Arowolo Amuda, Retired Civil Servant, Beleore’s Compound Offa,
67years, 02-02-2015
30. Definition of Inter-Group relations. www.academia.edu Extracted on 23rd August, 2015
31. E. M. Etinosa, “Constitutional Development and Inter-Group Relations in Nigeria: The
Unending Dilemma” in C. B. N. Ogbogbo, R. O. Olaniyi and O. G. Muojama (ed) The
Dynamics of Inter-Group Relations in Nigeria Since 1960, Essay in Honour of Obaro
Ikime @ 70, Department of History, University of Ibadan, 2012, p.64
161
32. L. C. Dioka, 1997, “Inter-group Relations among Communities” in Akinjide Osuntokun &
Ayodeji Olukoju (ed) Nigerian People and Cultures, Ibadan: Davidson Press. P.55
33. Extracted from Written Document Preserved by Iyeru-Okin African Church of Offa,
Retrieved on May 23, 2015
34. J. B. Olafimihan Revd. Iwe Itan Offa, 1978, p24
35. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p.27
36. Oral Interview with Baba Salawu Apalara, Farmer, Daudu’s Compound, Erin-Ile. ,
80years, 02-02-2015
37. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years May 21,2015
38. Oral Interview with Sola Akinbola Israel , Railway Staff, Admin Manager Railway
Station Offa, 51years, April 6, 2015
39. S. I. O. Elechi F. R. Gbadamosi and M. A. Koko, Commercial Training Manual for Kwara
State Staff on Kwara State Mass Transit Train Service At Nigerian Railway Corporation
Ilorin, Kwara State, Organized on 16th – 24th June, 2011
40. Oral Interview with Pa Moses Adeyemi, Retired Railway Staff, 77years, Ogidiri Area
Offa, 06-04-2015
41. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years December 12,2015
42. Oral Interview with Olu Funsho, Civil Servants, 67years, NIPOST Olofa Way, Owode
market, Offa, 41years May 20, 2015
43. Oral Interview with Seyi Alaba, Civil Servant, Railway Station Offa, 55years, , April 6,
2015
44. K. K. Omoloso, Ijakadi: A Publication of Offa Descendants’ Union, ODU @ 70 A Great
Beginning, PROMISING FUTURE Vol. 1 No. 4, November, 2005, p30
45. NAK/ 4861/1948: Plan of Railway Building at Offa.
46. NAK /3133/1939: Offa Government Residential Area Layout
47. Oral Interview with Adebisi Lawal, Farmer, Oba’s Compound, Ijagbo, 78years, October
22, 2014
48. Oral Interview with Opeyemi Deleola , Vicar Iyeru-Okin Anglican Church Offa, 54years,
22-04-2015
162
49. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p199
50. Oral Interview with Andrew Opaleye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
51. Extracted from Records of Iyeru-Okin Church Offa Titled: History of Iyeru-Okin African
Church Offa, Unpublished Work Filed in the Secretariat of the Church
52. N. Otoni, 1964, Western Education and The Nigerian Cultural Background, (Ibadan:
University of Press), p75
53. N. Otoni, 1964, Western Education and the Nigerian Cultural Background, p90
54. J. B. Olafimihan Revd. Iwe Itan Offa, pp55
55. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p200
56. Oral Interview with Andrew Opaleye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
57. Oral Interview with Ayanwale Oluwole ,Member, Iyeru-Okin Anglican Church Offa,
60years, 22-04-2015
58. Extracted from Records of Iyeru-Okin Church Offa Titled: History of Iyeru-Okin African
Church Offa, Unpublished Work Filed in the Secretariat of the Church, Extracted on the
22-04-2015
59. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
60. Extracted from Records of Iyeru-Okin Church Offa Titled: History of Iyeru-Okin African
Church Offa, Unpublished Work Filed in the Secretariat of the Church, Extracted on the
22-04-2015
61. A. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p202
62. Oral Interview with Dr. Kamaldeen Almubarak Ali, Lecturer: Al-Hikma University,
Department of Languages (Arabic Unit) Ilorin, Kwara State, 60years, 09-04-2015
63. Oral Interview with Alfa Abdulmojeed Aifari, Koranic Teacher, 65years, Lamodi Area
Offa, 07-04-2015
64. O. M. Dundu, 1989, Itan Esin Islam Ni Ilu Offa, Unpublished Work.
163
65. Oral Interview with Raheem Alabi, Arabic Teacher, 57years, Dundu’s Compound Offa,
05-04-2015
66. Oral Interview with Alfa Ibrahim Aifari, Koranic Teacher, 75years, Lamodi Area Offa,
05-01-2014
67. Oral Interview with Dr. Kamaldeen Almubarak Ali, Lecturer: Al-Hikma University,
Department of Languages (Arabic Unit) Ilorin, Kwara State, 60years, 09-04-2015
68. Extracted From The Records Education Department, Offa Local Government, April 7,
2015
69. Oral Interview with Mudasir Aifari, Retired Civil Servant, Aifari’s Compound Offa, 70
years, , May 20, 2014
70. E. A. Ayandele, The Missionary Impact on Modern Nigeria, (London: Oxford University
Press, 1960), p5
71. A. Olukoju, “Transportation in Colonial West Africa” in G. O. Ogunremi & E. K. Faluyi,
(ed), An Economic History of West Africa Since, p160
72. Oral Interview with Idris Olalekan, Trader, Lamodi Area Offa, 82years, 12 -04 -2015
73. Oral Interview with Adebola Rahamani, Farmer, Isale-Ago Area Offa, 75years, , 12-04-
2015
74. Oral Interview with Agboola Ilesanmi, Farmer, Isale-Ago Area Offa, 68years, , 12-04-
2015
75. Extracted From the Document belong to Information Office Railway Station Offa, 14-04-
2015
76. Oral Interview with Agboola Ilesanmi, Farmer, Isale-Ago Area Offa, 68years, , 12-04-
2015
77. K. K. Omoloso, Ijakadi L’oro Offa Publication, Arts, Culture & Tourism Expo
Celebration 2011 p16
78. Oral Interview with Ogbeni Rauf Abubakar, Retired Police Officer, 57years, Ojeun-Ogun
Compound Offa, 05-04-2015
79. NAK/Offa District/N558/1919: The Secretary, Northern Province Tax Office, p10
80. Oral Interview with Yinusa Bakare, Carpenter, Ado’s Compound Offa, 62years, 15 -04 -
2015
164
81. Oral Interview with Dauda Salawudeen, Farmer, Ado’s Compound Offa, 62years, 15 -04
-2015
82. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
83. Oral Interview with Adura Ololade, Retired Railway Staff, 70years, Yidi Area Offa, 06-
04-2015
84. Oral Interview with Adura Ololade, Retired Railway Staff, 70years, Yidi Area Offa, 06-
04-2015
85. Oral Interview with Baba Kajausa, Retired Railway Staff, 89years, Ogidiri Area Offa, 06-
04-2015
86. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years April 4, 2015
87. Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel , Railway Staff, Operation Engineer
Railway Station Offa, 51years, 06-04-2015
88. Oral Interview with Abdul Ismaila, Retired Civil Servant, Railway Station Offa, 68years,
12-04- 2015
89. K. K.Omoloso, Ijakadi L’oro Offa Publication, Arts, Culture & Tourism Expo Celebration
2011 p16
90. Oral Interview with Amao Shehu Tijani , Blacksmith, 85years, Ado’s Compound Offa,
05-02-2015
91. L. Rahaman, Olofamajo, A Socio-Cultural and Political History of The people of Offa,
p218
92. Oral Interview with Yahaya Afolabi, Marketing Department Offa Local Government,
Offa, 52years 07-02-2015
93. The Staff Strenght of of the Companys Available in Offa during the Booming Period of
Railway Transport. Designed by the researcher, 27th December, 2016
94. NAK /1842/1908: Annual Report, Ilorin Province
95. NAK /SNP7/3443/1908: The Railway Memoranda, The land and Native Rights
Proclamation p16
96. Oral Interview with Rasheed Gbadamosi, Retired Civil Servant, Railway Station Offa,
67years, 12-04- 2015
165
97. Oral Interview with Soji Adetunji, Railway Staff, Operation Manager, Railway Station
Offa, 51years, 06-04-2015
98. Oral Interview with Tajudeen Saka, Retired Civil Servant, Muu Area Offa, 70 years, ,
May 20, 2014
99. Oral Interview with Fatimah Ayinla, Trader, Railway Station Offa, 70years, 12-04- 2015
100.Oral Interview with Yahaya Afolabi, Marketing Department Offa Local Government,
Offa, 52years 07-02-2015
101.Oral Interview with Ogunseyi Olasende Israel , Railway Staff, Operation Engineer
Railway Station Offa, 51years, 06-04-201
166
CHAPTER SIX
THE COLLAPSE OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT AND ITS EFFECTS ON OFFA
PEOPLE, 1965 - 2008
6.1 Introduction
The truth is that we live in a country where we find it difficult to manufacture or even maintain
what has been manufactured, because our country has remained an unfortunate state in the hands
of leaders who lack leadership prowess to galvanise both natural and human resources’
endowment by providence. The difficulty in maintaining the colonial infrastructure bequeathed
to us after independence, has led to their collapse. This probably means starting all over again.
There is a general assumption that Nigeria is blessed both with natural and human resources but
the country does not have right leaders to harness and harmonise them for the benefit of common
people. The mind set of Nigerian leaders is winners take all approach in contestations. This
attitude has led to the collapse of many organisations in Nigeria. In view of this, Can we say the
following are the characteristics of Nigerian leaders which contributed to the collapse of the
railway transport in Offa and Nigeria at large? Politics without principle, pleasure without
conscience, wealth without work, knowledge without character, business without morality,
science without humanity, worship without Sacrifice1.
At the take-off of Nigerian railway on October 3, 1912, after joining the Lagos Government
Railway and Baro-Kano Railway Line, the staff strength of the Nigerian railway was 29,263.
Surprisingly, the staff strength in 1987 remained 34,400 compare to Britain is between 1848 and
1860, when the number employees stood at 200,000 men. Judged from this angle, the increase in
the number of staff was too small for the transport industry that had been existence since the
colonial period. This shows that the stagnation being experienced in the corporation had shown
167
signs shortly after the country attained her independence. The very worrisome ineptitude of some
Nigerian leaders after independence contributed immensely to the final collapse of the railway
sector2.
The political turmoil in Nigeria shortly after independence, which escalated in 1965 -66,
subsequently led to a military coup on January 15, 1966, remained the base for the collapse of
railway system in Nigeria, and the railway was a major legacy left by the British government.
The 1966 coup affected the socio-political and economic development of Nigeria. Since the
country had already been divided along ethnic lines, developmental of infrastructures was not the
priority of central government. Worse still, the system was not given adequate attention to
maintenance and expansion of existing projects. The railway transport was worst hit because the
system of government then encouraged other means or channels of transportation such as roads,
air, and water in predominantly riverine areas. Consequently, successive Nigerian governments
gave little or no attention to maintaining and improving the railway transport. In 1980, the
existing number of railway lines in Nigeria was 3,512, in 2008, the total number of railway lines
in Nigeria was 3,528. For a period of 28 years, Nigeria government added only 16 kilometers of
rail lines throughout the country3. This shows the lukewarm attitude of Nigerian government to
the railway project as a major drive of the economy in any society. Since the railway transport in
Offa derived its existence from the NRC which was financed by the Nigerian government, the
assurance of sustainability was eroded.
The effects of the collapse of the system on Offa people are so terrible that the socio-economic
activities there have since been in shambles. It has created unemployment in the railway sector,
which affected business activities in the area. The social vices in the area were so prevalent that
most of the area that used to be hub of business in the past became hideout of criminals.
168
Unemployment was very high because of low performance of the railway transport in the area.
Many businesses along the railway station were no long functioning at optimal capacity as it
during the booming period of railway transport in the area.
6.2 The General Collapse of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 1965 -1982
. Two different issues could be ascribed to the beginning of the collapse of the railway transport
in Nigeria. Firstly, the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantity and the subsequent
transition to a petro-dollar propelled economy. By this development the agriculture ceased to be
the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. Consequently, the nation’s rail system was abandoned as
there was no need to transport crude oil through the line, since crude oil was produced in the
coastal areas and it was easily pumped into vessel for shipment. Little attention was, therefore,
given to intra-movement of crude through the railway transport4. Again, as at then, there was no
single private refinery in Nigeria that could force the use of railway to convey crude oil to
different refineries in the country. This was compounded by the fact that the Nigerian
constitution did not allow individuals to set up a private refineries in the country. Probably, the
story of the railway would have been different if private refineries had been in existence shortly
after independence. At that time, government would have made use of railway transport
paramount by the oil industry which took over from the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
Secondly, the maladministration and malfeasance of the democratic government at independence
ushered in an ill-fated coup, which altered the structure of the economy planted by the colonial
government in 19665.
As a result of the foregoing development for over three decades, the Nigerian railway transport
system was neglected in terms of investment and budget allocation to the sector. For example,
Nigeria covers an area of 923,768 kms but there are still only 3,528 kms of railway, of which
169
1,788 kms are sharp curves. They are all single-track 1067-mm gauge with either steel or timber
sleepers. By comparison, road network increased from 72,000 kms in 1926 to about 150,000 kms
in the mid-1980s, and the number of airports increased from 2 in 1970 to over 18 in 19906.
Shortly after independence, a five-year National Development Plan, 1962 – 1968 was
introduced. In this plan which priority was placed on critical sectors of the economy. In spite of
this laudable policy, a new policy for transport development also evolved, because transport was
considered as an integral part of national development. This drew the attention of government to
a multi-model approach in which all the major transport systems, except the railway transport,
were given adequate attention to improve and develop the Nigeria economy.
By the new approach, road transport topped the agenda of the government. More than half of the
resource available for the development of transport system in Nigeria was invested in road
transport development. Major roads were constructed and rehabilitation of inherited roads took
the centre stage of government’s activity7. Roads were expanded without any consideration of
the attendant’s effects, such as road traffic, accidents, pollution, congestion and parking. Some
highways were constructed parallel to the railway lines, resulting in competition rather than a
complementary role between road and rail transport. This affected the growth and development
of the railway transport system. The major shift in the finance of railway transport to road
transport affected the sector drastically. This continued unabatedly under the successive
government in Nigeria. The allocation of money to the railway transport became a mere talk. All
policies directions of government on the railway transport were not followed to the letter. (The
differences in allocation of funds to the railway and road transport by the successive
governments are shown in the diagram below for clearer understanding of the neglect in the
170
railway sector after independence). It has shown how government placed priority on road above
railway transport in the country.
Model Share of National Transport Allocation
Source: J. A. Odeleye’s Article, Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development in Nigeria8
However, this ugly incident continued and still haunts the railway development. Sadly, the
political imbroglio, which engulfed Nigeria from independence slowed down the developmental
process, because attention of leaders and followers was largely on politics. Thus, from 1960 -
1978, the railway transport did not only lose its importance and relevance to the post-
171
independence socio-economic and geo-political activities, but its role as a major transport
organisation was shaking because of the inadequacy of government plan.
Thus, from 1960 -1978, there was very little attempt made for the development of Nigerian
railway system. The first attempt to re-organise the railway sector after independence came in
1971, when a new development plan (Restructure of the railway management) was adopted to
reform the railway sector in line with Nigeria political structure. The reform brought about the
cancellation of the post of deputy manager, location of secretary to the NRC outside line of
management, making the secretary responsible solely to the board. Also, the restructuring placed
district managers below the heads of departments. This was designed to remove the
misconception that the position of the district manager was higher in the organogram of the
railway system. The re-structuring brought in decentralisation of administrative positions with
more units, departments and districts created for smoother administration. This policy altered the
foundation of the British system of administration in the NRC9.
Paradoxically, the NRC’s fortunes began to decline rapidly between 1975 - 1978. This
downward trend brought in Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES) in
1978 to revitalize railway system in the country. The contractual agreement between Nigerian
government and RITES was signed in 1978 for the duration of twenty years with specific
objectives to:
• Rehabilitate the rail network using advice from Indian engineers
•Recover and maintain obsolete and disabled rolling stock
•Give foreign experts authority over highest decision-making body of NRC.
The good aspect of this agreement was that all these objectives were achieved and the NRC was
given a new lease of life. The RITES management team, which was made up of 36 top managers
172
and 470 technicians, formally took over the management and running of the NRC in January
197910. The cost of the contract was ₦462million and this led to a remarkable improvement in
the purchase of wagons, coaches and locomotives, substantial reduction in operating ratio, good
and effective communication system, but with a little improvement to the track11. The RITES
also trained a large number of railway staff within and outside Nigeria with 600 Nigerians sent to
India to acquire more knowledge in the use of new equipment supplied. The RITES built staff
quarters, training schools, canteens and medical centres in the division. Then, most of the staff
quarters in Offa were rehabilitated, the railway club got a face lift and business of entrainment
took a new dimension with large patronage of different Fuji musicians from far and near12. The
staff club was another source of income for the railway station in Offa and also, the staff of
railway were well paid and motivated, services became more regular, suitable and safer13. This
was a major step taken by the government to revive the railway sector after the eighteenth (18)
years of awkward administration of railway sector which brought the organisation to disrepute.
However, the termination of this joint venture in 1982 made the result shorts-lived. No sooner
had the India experts left than the railway traffic plummeted again. Inefficiency set in, the
railway infrastructure decayed rapidly and the finances were deplorable14. Suleiman and
Oladimeji assert that in 1981 alone, the corporation recorded a loss of more than ₦83 million,
and since then the loss has been continuous. The rapid increase in the use of motorised transport
continued unabatedly with a precipitous decline in railway patronage both in passengers and
frights15. This development marked the beginning of the collapse of the Nigerian railway
transport. Political crises and inconsistency in government policy also contributed to the
beginning of the collapse of the railway system, collapse, which also, affected the railway
transport in Offa as an integral part of Nigeria.
173
6.3 The Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa, 1982 – 1999
The glory of the NRC was hinged on the RITES foundation for about seven years after the
cancellation of RITES’ contract by the federal government of Nigeria. From 1983 to 1985, the
passengers carried by NRC rose from 12.98 million to 15.42million16. Since then, the number of
passengers conveyed annually continued to decline. In 1989, the total number of passengers
carried had dropped drastically to 6.5million.
The abrupt cancellation of RITES’ contract by the federal government spelt doom on the NRC.
This was because there was also no concrete plan for the railway system until 1989 when
government appointed a reputable Nigerian, Samuel Ogbemudia, to head the corporation17. The
coming of Ogbemudia as the sole administrator of the NRC was eventful and remarkable
because of his passion for the NRC. He worked assiduously to bring the NRC out of the
doldrums he met it. His effort with his management team turned the NRC around between 1989
–1992, the following goals were achieved:
•Divided the NRC into nine departments each headed by a director
•Checked union militancy by briefing staff regularly on all management decisions
•Motivated staff by paying salaries and all other entitlements promptly
•Reactivated workshops as beehives of activities
•Upgraded research unit to directorate level and developed local carriages, wagons, concrete
sleepers, rails, among others,
•Organized conference on wheels, unique seminars on morning trains between Lagos and Ilorin
to publicize railway activities. Offa terminus was used as a meeting point, which drew the
attention of major stakeholders to Offa then.
174
•Increased the NRC’s financial resources. For instance, the total revenue generated in 1989 was
₦73.0million compared to ₦52.8million in 1988. There was an increase in government funding
in 1989 with NRC receiving ₦224.04million, compared to ₦131.45million in 198818. This
analysis shows the steady loss the government incurred on the rsector in the budgetary
allocations every year.
Unfortunately, the gains achieved under Ogbemudia were not consolidated before his
appointment was terminated in 1992. As soon as Ogbemudia left the corporation, all his future
action plans programmes, including revitalisation, modernisation and development of railway
facilities and infrastructure, improved services, self-supporting railway with new marketing
strategies, among others, were thrown into the trash can by the successive administrations.
In 1993, the NRC recorded a sharp decline in income and carried only 580,000 passengers
during the period. Although the passengers carried in 1994 rose again to 1.43million and further
to 1.73million in 1995, the continuous dwindling of freight tones, 1 km from about 282,000
tonnes, 1 km in 1991 to 108,000 tones 1km in 1995, and the upward review of tariff could not
commensurate with services delivered to the customers. The railway was left hanging again for
another six years without any clear cut direction.
In 1995, General Sani Abacha-led government released an extra-budgetary allocation of about
₦720million to the corporation to clear the accumulated arrears of staff salaries and pensions.
The maladministration and malfeasance of the management of railway created this huge debit for
the organization19. The inability of the NRC to sustain the considerable improvement recorded by
RITES and Ogbemudia’s administration ushered in the contractual agreement between the
Nigerian government and China Civil Engineer and Construction Corporation which removed
the 6 years vacuum created by the exit of Ogbemudia. The bilateral contract of $528,697.000
175
was signed to improve rail operations in Nigeria for the duration of four (4) years, from 1995 –
1999. The Chinese experts were expected to rehabilitate the existing rail network, supply 50
locomotives, 150 coaches, 400 wagons and 20 rail buses, and provide technical training for the
NRC staff. The agreement, however, handed the supply of communication equipment
(microwave) to an Israeli company upon the completion of the contract20.
The contract with China became imperative because the then Minister of Transport, General
Gumel said that before the commencement of the contract, the NRC had only 19 locomotives
available on a daily basis. By the commencement of the contract the number increased to 41.
This increase according to the Minister enabled the NRC to resume Jos – Port Harcourt,
Abeokuta – Kano and Lagos – Idogo services as well as Lagos mass transit and other sub-urban
commuter services that had been abandoned for the past 15 years21. The sad story, however, was
constant breakdown of locomotives on the way in-between station, which usually kept the
passengers on journey for days longer than normal arrival time22. Similarly, customers using
cargo suffered terrible losses as a result of the perpetual down time loss on journeys.
Consequently, major traders who usually use cargo to carry their goods from Offa diverted
attention to road transport, despite the fact that the cost of haulage on the road has remained high
compared with railway transport.
The foregoing down trend in the railway transport made many passengers to divert from the rail
transport to other means of transportation. This development made it was very difficult for the
railway management to pay their staff salaries as at when due. As a result, from 1999 to 2000,
the staff strength of the NRC was around 14,000. Similarly, its property depreciated greatly in
value and some were vandalised beyond repairs23. In Offa, some properties were occupied by
displaced people while others became the abode of reptiles.
176
Generally, the allocation to the railway sub-sector dropped from 14.3% in 1990 to less than
1.33% in 1995, and less than 1% since early 200024. Against this background of the foregoing,
one would imagine the position of Offa station at this period in terms of economic loss to the
community and its environs.
In summary, the NRC which came into existence in 1898 as one of such lucrative public
ventures, entered a period of progressive decline from1983. Apart from its failure to connect
major towns and cities to railway lines beyond, what was achieved in the 1970s, by the
corporation came to virtually total halt due largely to poor management, obsolete equipment and
non-availability of funds for the expansion of its operations. The NRC linked a multitude of
problems, which included:
i. technical problems such as tight curves, steep gradients, rail buckling with associated
track/speed limits;
ii. poor communications;
iii. government interference with management structure;
iv. lack of freedom to set tariffs;
v. underfunding;
vi. falling rolling stock levels;
vii. plummeting traffic levels (freight and passenger);
viii. inflexible bureaucracy (administrative hiccups);
ix. volatile and militant labour union from the inception of railway transport in Nigeria;
x. irregular staff training;
xi. worn-out infrastructures; and
xii. lack of maintenance;25
177
The above problems affected the railway transport and the inability to surmount them led to the
collapse of the system in Nigeria, which also affected the day-to-day running of railway transport
in Offa as an integral part of Nigeria. Not only railway movements but also socio-economic
activities associated with railway transport that suffered serious setback in the area.
6.4 Effects of the Collapse of Railway Transport in Offa
It is very important to first look at the effects of the collapse of the railway transport Nigeria in
broader perspective. Railway transport under the NRC suffers from inadequate and poor
condition of available locomotives and rolling stock. By 2004, out of a total of 3,987 wagons
available in the system, while 57.5 per cent was defective, only 36.6 per cent was fit and
operational. The remaining 5.1 per cent was beyond economic repairs. Out of the available stock
of 683 coaches, only 34.6 percent were fit for use. As for locomotives, about 70 per cent of fleets
had outlived its life-span and usefulness.
Consequently, the NRC was constrained with running just skeletal services26. In other words,
locomotives and rolling stock became grossly inadequate to meet the requirements of clients. In
addition, available railway communication and signaling system remained terribly obsolete and
inadequate, since inconclusive efforts were made to modernise them. (The chart below shows the
drastic reduction of the railway transport contribution to GDP compared with other modes of
transport in Nigeria from 1981 when railway transport started melting down)
178
Table 4
The Analysis of Railway Contribution to GDP
Year Road Rail Ocean Air Total
1981 5.17 0.15 0.46 0.20 5.98
1982 3.93 0.17 0.38 0.23 4.71
1983 3.26 0.16 0.61 0.26 4.29
1984 3.31 0.17 0.43 0.27 4.18
1985 3.88 0.12 0.34 0.25 4.59
1986 3.34 0.11 0.24 0.21 3.90
1987 3.39 0.8 0.23 0.4 3.91
1988 3.12 0.6 0.23 0.18 3.59
1989 3.97 0.4 0.18 0.16 3.35
1990 2.80 0.4 0.18 0.16 3.53
1991 2.78 0.3 0.17 0.14 3.12
1992 2.86 0.2 0.15 0.14 3.17
1993 2.93 0.2 0.16 0.1 3.39
1994 2.93 0.0 0.14 0.10 3.22
1995 2.90 0.60 0.15 0.10 3.75
1996 2.86 0.60 0.15 0.10 3.71
1997 2.85 0.00 0.15 0.10 3.1
1998 2.86 0.00 0.15 0.9 3.91
TOTAL 59.14 4.98 4.35 3.74 69.4
Source: Adpoted and Modified from A. O. Ajiboye, ‘The Potentialities of Rail Transport as An
Alternative for Meeting Mass Transportation Demand in Nigeria in the New Century p.1527
Having looked at the general effects of the collapse on the nation’s economy, it would be
appropriate to analyse the effects of railway transport collapse in Offa in two folds: social and
economic effects. This would make people know the social and economic implications in
availability of the railway transport in Offa and Nigeria in general.
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6.4.1 Social Effects
The protracted abandonment of the railway station in Offa due to the decay in the railway
transport had the following effects:
i. Some official buildings belonging to the railway authority became hideouts for
criminals. The criminal unleashed their criminal acts on innocent people with
impunity. What used to be the pride and glory of Offa turned to a monster hunting the
community because of this nefarious act28. As many people lost their jobs, and left
their official buildings the non-availability of constant income increased crime rate in
Offa and its environs. This led to insecurity as the above was possible because
security rendered by the railway Police Station within the yard of railway station has
declined drastically. The activity of railway police attached to the station which
usually curtail the menace of hoodlums within and outside the railway premises was
confined to the station alone. In spite of the increase in population, with attendant
increase in crime rate, no adequate security was provided for police personnel posted
to the Offa railway station. This exposed the area to danger of criminal-minded
people29.
ii. The Railway Club, which used to be the centre of attraction for entertainment and
relaxation, remained a shadow of itself. Below is the clear picture of present status of
Railway Club in Offa;
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Offa Railway Club
Sources: Researcher’s field work22-06 -201630
iii. The collapse of the railway transport led to the exploitation of commuters by the road
drivers. The benefits in terms of concession given to students who are travelling to
and fro school were cancelled. For instance, a journey from Ilorin to Offa, in 1983,
cost of full ticket was ₦1.50k. Half ticket was sold to student with a proof of identity
card at the rate of 75kobo. Then, the cost of transport by road was about ₦2.00 or
₦1.80k depend on the bargaining power of travellers31.
iv. The health care delivery to Offa people was affected. Apart from the services
delivered by the General Hospital in Offa, the railway authority had a clinic, which
usually provided health services to the staff and relatives of the staff. In fact, the
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services were even extended to people who had no relation in the station during the
colonial period. The neglect in the sector has put a stop to this health services used to
be provided to people by this clinic. The town now depends on the government
General Hospital and private hospitals whose primary aims and objectives were to
exploit the patients without commensurate services rendered.
v. The awareness usually given by railway signal unit during December periodswas no
more. Usually, the signal unit used to present awareness programmes whenever year
was coming to an end. The railway station usually presented colourful programmes
from 1st December of every year with constant entertainment throughout the season.
Most importantly, the unit was the only informant to Offa people on every 31st of
December at 00:00 hour, railway to usher in the New Year. Everybody paid attention
to the programmes to share the jokes. The station used to have special jingles, which
used to come up once in a year. Very sadly, since the collapse of the railway
transport, the station has ceased to provide this social service to the Offa
community32. (See appendix 9 for the picture of Signal & Communication office in
Offa)
6.4.2 Economic Effects
The economic effects of the collapse of the railway on Offa are diverse and devastating to the
extent that almost household in the area were directly or indirectly affected:
i. Loss of Jobs: The rough estimate of staff of the station as at 1987 was around 3,512.
When the station was forced to reduce the number of its staff, many indigenous staffs
were affected. This created an economic crisis in Offa because many households were
affected. According to an oral account, many people who were not used to farming
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before 1985 were forced to engage in farming they were not paid for several
months33.
ii. Partially of Business: Most of the business activities such as provision stores, cloths
stores, food vendors and other businesses along the railway line in Offa were
paralysed. The major reason was that workers could not get money to buy or pay the
debt they owed the traders. As a result of this, many people left Offa in search of
greener pastures or areas where businesses were still booming. This situation led to
the closure of many stores or permanent relocation of their businesses to other areas
within the town or outside Offa. This was the genesis of collapse of the business and
subsequent taking over of abandoned shops by the criminal elements in the area.
iii. Relocation of some Business from Offa to other Places: The companies in Offa
between 1980 to 1990 included: Kwara Breweries, Okin Biscuits, Okin Foam and
Kwara Paper Mill Erin-Ile. The railway transport contributed immensely to the
survival of these companies in terms of movement of their products from one place to
the other. The collapse of the railway transport compelled the companies divert to
road transport which was expensive and at the same time not safe because of frequent
accidents. Inability of these companies to cope with the pressure associated with the
road transport led to the winding up of Kwara Paper Mills in 1993 and Kwara
Breweries in 2000. Similarly, both Okin Foam and Okin Malt have disappeared from
the market too34.
iv. Decline of the Revenue of Offa Local Government Council: The revenue generated
by the local government from the mini-markets along the railway station dropped
drastically. Many shops along the station were also closed; the few ones operating are
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remained shadows of themselves. The major market located around the station could
not generate the expected revenue for the local government to meet its obligatory
services to the citizenry. Most of the warehouses located along the station otherwise
known as goods shield were no longer functional. The inability and non-availability
of constant bulky goods by the railway transport reduced the usage of “goods shield”.
As a result of this, the local government revenue reduced drastically. Subsequently,
many of these “goods shields” were closed and converted to worship centres35. From
available oral data, a local government staff in the marketing office says the bulky
part of local government revenue was coming from goods shield during the boom
days of railway transport. However, the closure of these “good shields” made the
local government to focus more on the Owode market and other markets in Offa for
revenue mobilisation36.
v. Closure of Some Local Industries: Local industries such as the pot molding reduced
drastically. The number of local blacksmith who produced iron pots in Offa was
enormous when the railway transport was operating. The presence of the railway
transport made many buyers of this item to come from the Northern part of Nigeria to
buy in large quantities. The moment railway transport stopped functioning,
production of the commodity drastically reduced due to lack of many traders who
came for it. Most of these small scale industries have closed down. Similarly, hosts of
a blacksmiths have resorted to using motorcycle transportation popularly called
‘okada’ for survival.
vi. Abandonment of Cloth Weaving: The presence of the railway transport attracted
people to Offa who patronised the local cloth industries. However, with the collapse
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of the railway transport in the area, the large numbers of youths who were engaged in
the business have abandoned it.
vii. Drastic Reduction in the Production of Sweet Potato: Offa was known for potato
production with large number of people engaged in the production due to the huge
demands for it as a result of the availability of railway transport to carry it to other
destinations. Non-availability of cheap transport to convey it has made the traders to
stay away. The production of potato, which had attained external supply, has been
reverted to production for house-hold consumption37.
viii. Reduction in the Volume of Trade in Offa: The establishment of the railway transport
exposed the Offa people to long and short distance commercial activities. This
enabled many people to establish strong business affinity with outsiders in marketing
different types of products such as kolanuts to northern part of the country. The
sudden collapse of the railway transport affected these traders considering the fact
that these were no longer opposed to the cheap and safer means of transportation the
railway system provided. We are much aware of the risks involved in the road
transportation such as frequent accidents and cases of robberies, which resulted not
only in monetary lost, but also lives which is irreplaceable.
ix. Disappearance of Many Skilled Artisans: It is important to note that, the
establishment of railway transport brought many engineers or experts to Offa. This
set of people impacted positively to the lives of the inhabitants of the area in the
acquisition of modern technology in fields such as welding (iron bending), electrical
and wood works. The collapse of railway system made the trainers and trainees to
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leave Offa. This development adversely affected the community in terms of human
capacity and labour38.
x. Population: The collapse of railway transport had effects on the population of Offa.
The boom in the economy in any society is a major driver of population increase and
increase in productivity. This has much to do with the development of the transport
system and other allied factors. In the case of Offa, shortly, after the construction of
rail line, the major driver of economic activities in the area was railway transport. Its
collapse reduced the population of the area drastically. Similarly, it is obvious that
there is a missing link in the economy. For instance, the steady growth of population
in Offa could be traced to the railway transport from 6,402 in 1921 to 12,113 in 1931,
and to about 32,415 in 1953. The 1973 census moved it to about 60,234 in the study
area39. These figures shows the steady growth in the population of Offa when the
railway system was booming in the area. The steady increase in population equally
stabilised the population of the area.
The foregoing suggests that there is a link between population growth and effective
transportation system and socio-economic activities. This is because steady flow of
population is hindered by dislocation in transport system. As the discussion shows,
steady increase in the population of the study area when the railway operated at full
capacity, the table below shows the case study of Offa population from 1991 to
200640, following the collapse of the railway system in Nigeria.
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Table 5
The Population Census in Offa from 1991 to 2006
Name Status Population Census26-11-1991
Population Census21-03-2006
Projection
21-03-2011Asa Local Government Area 78,722 124,668 144,840Baruten Local Government Area 110,576 206,679 240,130Edu Local Government Area 138,735 201,642 234,280Ekiti Local Government Area ……. 54,399 63,200Ifelodun Local Government Area 155,551 204,975 238,150Ilorin East Local Government Area .......... 207,462 241,040Ilorin South Local Government Area ………. 209,251 243,120Ilorin West Local Government Area 205,567 365,221 424,330Irepodun Local Government Area ………. 147,594 171,480Isin Local Government Area ……….. 59,481 69,110Kaiama Local Government Area 43,165 124,015 144,090Moro Local Government Area 86,939 108,715 126,310 ● Offa Local Government Area 74,924 88,975 103,370 ●Oke-Ero Local Government Area …….. 56,970 66,190Oyun Local Government Area 56,006 94,454 109,740Pategi Local Government Area ……… 110,852 128,790
1,548,412 2,365,353 2,748,100Source: National Population Commission of Nigeria41.
The table gives an illustration of population development in all sixteen local government areas of
Kwara State. It has shown with comparative analysis that population development in other LGA
is better than Offa. The economies of other areas in Kwara State are not badly affected like Offa
which solely depends on the day-to-day running of the railway transport. For a period of fifteen
years, Offa had increase of only 14,051 people, compare with Ilorin West with difference of
159,654. The authority in Offa protested the population figure released by National Population
Census (NPC) in 2006, which resulted to litigation. The conclusion then was that major
economic activities in Offa had been closed down and this led to the downward trend of the
population figure in the study area (Offa)42. Although the NPC was ordered by the court to
conduct a fresh census in the area, it was not conducted again.
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6.5 Attempted Resuscitation of the Railway Transport in Nigeria, 1999 -2008
Between 1999 and 2008 efforts were made to revitalise the railway sector in Nigeria. Since 1960
when Nigeria got her independence, the country never had smooth transition from one civilian
government to another. Unstable political process contributed to infrastructural decay in Nigeria.
One of the major problems of railway system in Nigeria is government inconsistency in policy
formulation and execution. Remarkably on this development, a one-time acting managing
director of the corporation, Jetson Nwankwo made effort to restore the Railway Corporation to
its pride place as a driver of social and economic development were hampered by lack of
political will by the successive leaders in Nigerian government.43 One would agree that the
founders of the railway transport in Nigeria had blueprint of what they intended to achieve with
the transport system. This was made possible because the system was controlled by inclusive
government with the same ideology but in the case of self-government in Nigeria, the running of
governmental policies has been lopsided due to constant interference in government institution.
However, the usefulness of railway transport cannot be over emphasised in the development and
growth of an economy. The newly restored democratic government then, realised the usefulness
of railway transport based on the following reasons:
i. High Haulage Capacity: The single trip haulage capacity of a train is very high and
could be higher than that of any road vehicle, aeroplane or ship (sea transport). This
makes railway transport to be the best means of mass transit, which should be
resuscitated.
ii. Safety: Railway Transport is safer than road transport and less risky than water and
air transport. Railway transport is not known for high rates of accidents. With
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improvement in the state of railway in the country and the scheduling of transit, the
accident rate could be greatly reduced.
iii. Stimulation of Cash Crop Production and Export in Nigeria: The availability of
railway transport greatly facilitated the growth of cash crop production and export
business in Nigeria in the early twentieth century. The railway enabled the produce
buyers to easily move their goods to seaports for export to the Western world. This
helped to stimulate the market for the produce and mined goods, thereby encouraging
more production. The government realised that long-term neglect of agriculture has
plunged the nation into economic chaos. The government realised that the survival of
the economy rested on revamping the railway transport in order to restore the lost
glory of agricultural products.
iv. Speedy Movement of Bulky Cargoes on Long Distances: Although trains generally
move slower than road transport, they however, move faster in the long run when
transporting bulky cargoes over long distance. This is because trains do not have to
stop during transit as often as motor vehicles. A single train could also carry in one
trip the cargo which ten trucks may require as many as ten trips to carry. This
precipitated government to divert attention to railway rehabilitation to the
consideration that diverting the transportation of heavy goods from our roads to the
railway would extend the life-span of our roads.
v. Cheap Transportation: Railway coaches are cheaper than trucks and aeroplanes for
transporting passengers and cargoes. Hence, railways are generally preferred by
companies and individuals who are transporting bulky items, most especially when
such items have to be moved frequently44.
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These are issues germane to economic growth which made government to see the
need to take urgent measures to improve the railway system under democratic
government by the successful regime since 1999. The analysis of effort made started
with Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration from 1999 to 2007. Also President
Umaru Ya’ardua continued in 2007 shortly after his inauguration. The efforts made
by both regimes are discussed below:
(a). The Nigerian Railway under President Olusegun Obasanjo, 1999 - 2007
For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the country had a democratic institution which, was
nurtured continuously from 1999 – 2007 with smooth transition from one civilian regime to
another on the platform of one political party. This enabled the regimes to lay the foundation to
pursue national development projects without interruption in the country. The Obasanjo-led
administration in particular, discovered and accepted that the panacea to economic growth in any
country solidly rests on a good and all-encompassing transportation system where emphasis and
energy are seriously invested in all the sector of the transport industry particularly railway
transport. This was to direct attention, also to the long time neglected railway transport
considered to be highly advantageous, easier and safer in the movement of large quantities of
goods.
Against this background, the Obasanjo administration placed priority on the railway transport.
Very determined to address the decadence in the railway transport, the government carried out a
survey of the equipment of the sector in 2004, which revealed the following:
i. The available stock of 683 coaches, only 34.6 per cent was fit for use.
ii. As for locomotive, about 70 per cent of the NRC fleet outlived its life-span and
usefulness. Consequently, the NRC was constrained to run just skeletal services. In other
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words, locomotives and rolling stocks were grossly inadequate to meet the requirements
of clients.
iii. It was discovered that the communication and signaling systems were terribly obsolete
and inadequate.
iv. The track structure still consisted primarily of narrow gauge jointed rails, whose weights
vary from 30 kg/m to 40kg/m, with ballast cushion of up to 30 centimetres. These light-
weight rails continued to limit their axle loads from about 12.5 tons to 20 tons. Whereas,
for any meaningful impact, a more superior track structure with heavy continuous
welded rails of up to 60kg/m is needed to move heavier train loads45.
In view of the above findings, in 2005, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) during the period
through the World Bank funding, engaged the services of CPCS Transcom as Transaction
advisers to advice in the concession of the railway transport. The firm had completed about 80%
of the assignment, including the concession of the Central Railways (Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri line,
which terminates at Ovu) and the due diligence on the entire rail network before its contact was
suspended because of the proposed modernization of the network which was to replace the
existing network with wider gauge46. Because of lack of funds, the modernisation project was
shelved by the federal government, which directed that the existing network should be
rehabilitated and concessioned to private operators.
The rehabilitation of the railway system included track spot renewal of Lagos to Kano and
Maiduguri to Port Harcourt lines, supply of 25 locomotives to boost existing locomotives power
base of the corporation, upgrading of carriage and wagon workshops, re-equipping the
workshops, supply of service support, strategic rebranding of the corporation, rehabilitation of
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stations and marshaling yards were jump-started. These served as major steps towards revamping
the railway sector in Nigeria under the democratic government47.
On 22 March 2006, the Obasanjo administration had another contractual agreement with Chinese
Company, Guandong Xinguang International Company to construct the rail line, which would
run from Lagos to Abuja and light lines to Murtala Mohammed International Airport, from
Lagos city, and to Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport covering the Abuja city centre. An
estimate of about $US2billion was budgeted at the start of the contract48.
Again, on 8 June 2006, the development of Inland Container Depots (ICD) was proposed for a
number of sites. The same Chinese company was awarded the contract to see if there would be
positive change in the railway sector.
On 30th October 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo signed another contract with China Civil
Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). The contract was signed in order to make the
“dead” Nigerian Railway sector to come back to life49. The federal government realised the need
to re-engineer the railway system to align with the vision of an integrated transport for the
country before the year 2020. In pursuance of the plan, it unveiled a $35billion four-phased
project aimed at giving the railway system a facelift. The project was to take off with Lagos to
Kano route at an estimated cost of $8.3billion. Government initially released $250million to
CCECC the main contractor of the project.
Notwithstanding the laudable objectives of the above contract lack of funding was identified as
the biggest obstacle to its execution. The government had at one time thought of raising funds
from the capital market for the project, but this was not actualised. The chief coordinator of
CCECC, Mr. Karl Leo, once lamented that apart from the initial $250million mobilization fee
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paid by the government to the Chinese firm at the inception of the project, it had been difficult
sourcing for more funds to continue with the first phase of the project, which was expected to be
completed in 2010 with 1,315 kilometres of rail being constructed. The second phase of railway
lines extending from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri was expected to cost $9billion. But due to the
lack of policy implementation, the contract was not well supervised and was stopped in 2008.
The contract was designed for the following areas; Lagos-Ibadan (181km), Ibadan-Ilorin
(200km), Ilorin-Minna (270km), Minna-Abuja-Kaduna (360km), and Kaduna-Kano (305km)50.
(b). Nigerian Railway Corporation under President Umaru Yar’Adua Administration 2007
- 2010
The coming of Umar Yar’Adua on the 29th May, 2007, to power, brought in the “Seven Point
Agenda”, which was unveiled on August 1, 2007. The “Seven-Point-Agenda” comprised the
following issues:
i. Power and energy
ii. Food security and agriculture
iii. Wealth creation and employment
iv. Mass transportation
v. Land reform
vi. Security
vii. Quantitative and functional education
This seven point agenda came with two special interest issues, which were:
i. Niger Delta
ii. Disadvantaged groups
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Significantly, mass transport was the point fourth and focal point agenda of the administration,
till May 5, 2010, when he died in office as the President of Nigeria. Mass transportation, as it
was mentioned in the Seven-Point-Agenda stated that the transportation sector in Nigeria with its
poor network was an inefficient means of mass transit of people and goods. With a goal for a
modernised industrialised Nigeria, it was mandatory that Nigeria develops its transport sector51.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government led by Yar’adua already started the process by
the on-going rehabilitation and modernisation of the railway. Shortly after President Yar’adua
inaugurated his cabinet, the cabinet was divided over the viability and relevance of the relevance
of the revitalisation of the railway system. Some ministries wanted the contract revoked; whereas
others, notably top officials of the Federal Ministry of Transport and the NRC management, were
in favour of its execution. The then Finance Minister, Shamusudeen Usman, and his
transportation counterpart, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, were in the vanguard of those
pushing for the termination of the contract. The controversy prompted late President Yar’Adua to
raise an 11-man Presidential Committee on Funding of the Railway Modernisation Project52.
This panel was headed by Shamsudeen Usaman. Several recommendations were pushed to the
President, but the focal point in the recommendation was the termination of contract awarded by
Yar’Adua’s predecessor. Also, the reduction of the contract scope to a single track instead of the
double track agreed in the contract, prolonging the phase one, from four years to seven years,
phased implementation of the project to reduce the financial burden on government, and sticking
to the initial terms of the contract termination.
Thus, the Ministry of Justice presented a briefing to the President that there was no clause for
termination of the contact in the government signed by the Presidential Negotiation Committee
headed by the then Private Secretary to the ex-President Obasanjo, Mr. Stephen Orosanye. But
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the Ministry of Transportation countered that assertion, saying that Clause 15.5 in the contract
made provision for termination53.The Nation, reported that the reason for the whole hullaballoo
wass that the lobby groups were said to be proposing a $2billion rehabilitation scheme for the
railway, which would largely be awarded contract patronage of party loyalists. This remained the
problem of the government source of the establishment, in spite of the laudable efforts put in
place to revamp the railway sector. This move made by President Yar’Adua generated
controversy between government and the railway workers, because the workers felt that it was an
avenue for the government to embark on another downsising in the railway sector, which its
workforce had been reduced to 6,514 from 42,000 during the hay day of railway transport. The
position of NRC staff through its Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and
Corporations (SSCTAC) delivered by its president, Mr. Abiodun Lensi, said repositioning of the
company required structural reforms; not further staff downsizing54.
More importantly, the year 2008 was a turning point in the life of the railway sector under
President Musa Yar’adua. The turn-around maintenance initiated by President Olusegun
Obasanjo administration received attention, which served as a base for the revival of the railway
transport in Offa and Nigeria at large. The significant step taken to revamping the railway sector
took place on the September 23, 2008, when Nigeria and China signed a bilateral trade
agreement, which figure stood at $4billion55. This major bilateral agreement was signed by the
China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Chen Jian and his counterpart in Nigeria, the Minister of
Transport, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in Abuja. The federal government used the occasion to
invite investors in road, aviation, maritime, and particularly, railway transportation.
After the signing of the bilateral agreement, the Federal Government renewed the contract for the
reactivation of the commercial railway system awarded, in its effort to reactivate the commercial
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rail system, awarded to Costain West Africa Plc. in December 2009, worth ₦12.2 billion for the
rehabilitation of 640 kms Jebba-Kano phase. This continued under Yar’Adua until his death. It
was the laudable effort of Yar’adua that made the former President Goodluck Jonathan to
commission a coach named “Dame Patience Jonathan” three years later in 2012, from Ebuta-
Meta, Lagos, through the 98-kilometre rail track to Abeokuta, and Lagos-Jebba rail at the cost of
₦12.13billion56.
Generally, the efforts made by the successive governments in Nigeria have kept the development
of the railway sector in the mind of the public as the main alternative to the perennial problems
of transportation. Such efforts equally affected the Offa railway terminus. However, the needed
change expected to make impact substantially felt was not achieved in Offa due to inconsistency
in government policies. For Offa and Nigeria at large to achieve a great turn-around in the
economy, government should revive railway transport by emulating other nations that have fully
developed their railway system for economic development.
6.6 Lessons from other Countries to Revive the Nigerian Railway System
The successes of the Nigerian economy depend largely on good railway network in view of the
fact that the railway system provides very effective and safer means of moving bulky goods. It
equally helps to open up any economy to other economics for industrialisation purposes. For
instance, the contribution of the railway to countries’ economies across the globe cannot be over
emphasised. Industrialisation in developed countries of Europe, America and Asia could be
traced to committed efforts of governments to railway development. For instance, in the United
Kingdom, the railways helped transform British society. Over £2 million was invested and
railway building employed at its peak from 1846 to 1848 in the region of 200,000 men. At that
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time when coal was the mainstay for energy production, the railway moved more than half of
what was moved by sea in the UK. The country’s iron output doubled and at its peak in the
1880s, the railways accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s entire domestic
consumption. The railways both increased the demand for key raw materials such as iron and
steel and enabled them to be easily distributed around the country for manufacturing use57.
Also, Russian industrialisation began only when the construction of railways was started, while
America became an important industrial power or centre by constructing big trans-continental
railway lines. It is on record that when the national capital of America was moved to Washington
D.C in March, 1801, under Thomas Jefferson, the government precipitated an aggressive
construction of railway lines from New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
The phenomenal growth in the railway project was the key that opened the door to America’s
industrial development. Huge amount of money was invested in the railway system by
successive regimes in America. This was invigorated as from 1863 the result which was the
construction, also, of the Union Pacific Railway otherwise known as the Chicago line and the
Central Pacific Line from California, the two which joined together in Utah in 1869 after their
promoters had overcome the phenomenal difficulties by a brutal determination. Other lines
stretching across the American continent followed in the next twenty years58.
When the American Civil War began, the United States had only a little over 30,000 miles of
track. By 1880 this had grown to more than 93,000 miles. A decade later, it was over 166,000
miles, the largest growth in any decade in American history. By 1890 the country had more
mileage of railway track than all of Europe and Russia combined59.
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The success story of America depends largely on the aggressive investment on railroads which
connected the nook and crannies of America for economic activities. The same spirit should be
adopted by Nigerian governments to overcome economic crisis in the country. Aggressive
expansion of railroad in all secluded towns and villages of Nigeria would revive the economy.
As at the time the railway transport in Nigeria was vibrant, it contributed to the growth GDP
which made a town such as Offa vibrant and strong in terms of economy.
Certainly, the investment in railroad in America and Europe may be difficult to use as a model
for railroad development in Nigeria because the economic power and institutional framework for
development have not been well built for development in Nigeria. However, some countries in
Africa have distinguished themselves in the area of railroad network and it has impacted
positively on the economies. These countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya should
serve as models for Nigeria to build a formidable railroad network that could yield meaningful
economic impact. India also had a vibrant railway system. In view of this, South Africa and India
shall be reviewed as a case study for Nigeria to use for railway transport development.
Lessons from South Africa and India Railway Transport Systems
The development of railway transport in South Africa could serve as a model for Nigeria to
develop her own railway system. Dating back to the 1860, South Africa’s railway system was
probably the largest and most sophisticated on the African continent. The few humble coastal
lines that emerged at that time rapidly began penetrating the interior during the 1870s and 1880s,
sparked off by the discovery of the world’s richest diamond and gold discoveries and the
accompany industrialization and departments60.
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The same Nigeria way was divided into protectorates under colonial government, so South
Africa was also divided into British colonies and Boer republics. In 1910, these two entities in
South Africa was merged into a single management system, this marked strong beginning of
South African Railway system. After the merger, there was an accelerated economic
development and the peculiarities of the apartheid government led to the construction many more
railway lines.
Like elsewhere in the world particularly Nigeria, development of railway was an essential part of
European colonization in the early days of South Africa. Issues such as the discovery of
minerals, rapid industrialisation after 1910, followed by agriculture development after 1945, the
influx of new settlers, urbanisation, the creation of Africa’s largest energy generating
infrastructure (coal-based), and tourism development led to the expansion of the railway system.
This was a case similar to the expansion of the railway across Nigeria by the colonial masters61.
However, unfortunate incidence of Apartheid in South Africa contributed to the development of
railway transport. The system made people moved in numbers from great distance between their
places of residence and their places of work.
Although, the development of railway transport in South Africa did not come without obstacles
such as lack of water in arid regions, the broken land scape of the eastern coastal region and lack
of coal in many parts of the country. These obstacles made the construction of railway in South
Africa expensive. Despites these obstacles, South Africa succeeded in establishing an impressive
railway system, characterised by more than 1,000 stations complexes, sheds, workshops and
houses and villages for the railway staff (including recreational facilities), very large centralised
workshops, operating and training facilities, 20,000 kilometres of track with more than 300
sidings, 10,000 bridges and viaducts and 150 tunnels. Also, steam engines, as well as many
199
electric and diesel-electric engines specially designed for local conditions and finally some of the
world’s longest goods railways and most luxurious passenger railways, were developed62.
Before 1990, South African railway had achieved greater height; only 10,000 kilometers of
railway lines are fully utilized. Of the remaining 10,000 kilometres of railway, 1,250 kilometres
carry no traffic, 5,750 kilometers carry low traffic, and 3,110 kilometres only carry light traffic63.
The existing railway lines since 1980 shows that effort of successful government in South Africa
has contributed immensely to the development.
The decline of the South African Railway became evident in 1980, which resulted in frequent
decrease in the staff the phasing out of steam traction resulted in the scrapping of many steam
locomotives. A lot of rolling stock, much of it with heritage significance, was scrapped and left
to decay64.
In spite of the decline in the South African railway system, the policy direction of government
towards revamping the sector was paramount. The desire to revamp the railway sector, has led to
series of transformations in the late 1980s when the then South African Railway adopted
privatization as means as only alternative measure to revive the railway transport. In view of this,
South African Transport Services (SATS) was set up to handle railway transport. Shortly after
this, a new parastatal company, Transnet, replaced SATS in the 1990, which had a number of
subsidiaries for the railway transportation65.
The ROVOS rail, which operates the most luxurious vintage tourist train in the world changed
the face of South African Railway. These transformations clearly show a turning point in the
system of railway South Africa. While the model of Europe could be difficult to use as a
200
yardstick to measure the development of railway transport in Nigeria, African model would be
good as lesson for revival of Nigerian railway sector.
The lessons, which Nigerian Government could learn from South Africa railway is the adoption
of privatisation that gave the country (South Africa) opportunity to revive and developed her
railway system to the global standard. According to World Bank, Transportation, Water, and
Information and Communications Technologies Department, the ROVOS rail is the best luxury
railways in South Africa and number one in the world66. This laudable achievement came from
privatisation of the railway transport in South Africa which could be adopted in Nigerian
transport sector for effective management of the railway system in Nigeria.
Also, the development of India railway system began in the 19th century. The first railway line
was opened to public on 16th April, 1853, this was about 43 years before the railway transport
started in Nigeria in 1896. Within a short span of 18 years in India, from 1853 to 1871, most of
the important cities in India were connected by railroad. As at 1871, the total number of the
railroad in India was 7,680 kms. The railway line was increased to 39,834 kms in 1899 67. By
March 31, 1940, the rail line had increased to 65,217km. As at August 15, 1947, India railway
had 66,234 kms out of which 10,523 kms was ceded to Pakistan, leaving India with only 55,711
kms after her independence in 194768.
In 1948, a decision was taken by the India government given exclusive right to the central
government over coal, steel, aviation, petroleum and railway transport. In 1956, another
resolutions was passed, which gave private sector power to participate in the transport sector
particularly railway transport. This decision was reached after government ran into heavy losses
201
in public-owned institutions. The bold step taken by the government led to the success of railway
transport in India69.
Interestingly, India had second largest railway network in Asia and fourth largest in the world
after the USA with 227,736 kms of railway lines, Russia has 222,293 kms and China with only
87,157 kms of railway lines. India is currently serving the route of about 63,122 kms70. These
milestone achievements in the countries mentioned above could be ascribed to private
participation in the development of the rail sector. This analysis has given any right thinking
individual opportunity to know that privatization of the railway sector in Nigeria with
transparency is the panacea to the success of the railway transport in Offa and Nigeria at large.
6.7 Conclusion
The chapter has discussed the general collapse of the Nigerian railway corporation from 1965 to
1982, with focus on the causes of the collapse and analysis on the inept of successive leaders in
Nigeria to handle the legacy of British colonial government shortly after independence. The year
1982 marked the beginning of main collapse seen in Nigerian railway and it has given an
understanding of the issues that led to the total collapse of the railway transport system in the
study area.
Effects of the collapse on the Offa people were evident from the economic and social hardships
that people went through. The reaction of people to situation they found themselves, following
the collapse of the system, which resulted to the migration of people to other places for better
living was discussed.
The efforts made by various regimes to resuscitate the railway sector under the democratic
government from 1999 to 2007, was examined. Also, lessons drawn from two countries South
202
Africa and India with successful story of how they manage their railway transport system could
be a model for developing countries such as Nigeria. The lessons from these two countries
harped on privatisation as the only panacea to the resuscitation of the railway transport in
Nigeria. It has demonstrated that government has no alternative means to modern transport
system than revamping the railway sector for the development of economic sector in Nigeria. It
is a known fact that Nigerian economy is facing serious challenges. Easy access to natural
resources and agricultural produces at cheaper rate would increase productivity and this would
have positive impact on GDP. The only panacea to this economic doldrums is viable modern
railway transport system to carry bulky goods and services from one place to the other.
203
Endnotes
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Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, from August 14th – 16th, 2002
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5. A. Ademoyega, Why We Struck The Story of the First Nigerian Coup, (Ibadan: Evans
brothers Limited, 1981), p.100
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Corporation Fortunes” Paper Delivered at the Centre for Transport Studies, Olabisi
Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, from August 14th – 16th, 2002
7. S.O. Onakomaiya, Highway Development in Nigeria: A Review of Policies and
Programs 1900 – 1980, (Ibadan: MISER, 1992), p.3
8. J. A. Odeleye’s work titled “Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development
in Nigeria”. www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/f42_odeleye.html, Retrieved on the 12-06-2014
9. E. M. Makama, A Studies of the Utilization of Rail Transport in NIGERIA, Thesis
Submitted at the Postgraduate Professional Transport School, Nigerian Institute of
Transport Technology, Zaria p35 -40
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www.reikojournals.org/index.php/the-journal-of-social-and-economic?id=267 Retrieved
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Commuters in Lagos State in Journal of Social Policy and Society Vol. I Number I
12. S. O. Omowa, ‘Restructuring the Nigerian Railway Corporation Towards Improved
Productivity” (PGD Dissertation, Post-graduate Professional Transport School, Nigerian
Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria) p.35
13. Oral Interview with Oladipo Adefioye, Retired Civil Servant, Oba’s Compound Ijagbo,
69years, October 22, 2014
14. J. A. Odeleye’s work titled “Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development
in Nigeria. www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/f42_odeleye.html, Retrieved on the 12-06-2014
15. A. O. Suleiman & L. A. Oladimeji, Public –Private Partnership and Infrastructural
Development in Nigeria: The Rail Transport Sector in Focus in British Journal of
Education, Society & Behaviuoral Science ISSN: 2278-0998, www.sciencedomain.org,
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16. Y. Aderibigbe, ‘Railway Award New Contract’, The Nation Newspaper, July 30, 2013,
p21
17. S. O. Omowa, “Restructuring the Nigerian Railway Corporation Towards Improved
Productivity” (PGD Dissertation, Post-Graduate Professional Transport School, Nigerian
Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, 2001), p40
18. S. O. Omowa, “Restructuring the Nigerian Railway Corporation Towards Improved
Productivity” (PGD Dissertation, Post-Graduate Professional Transport School, Nigerian
Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria, 2001), p46
19. A. O. Suleiman & L. A. Oladimeji, Public –Private Partnership and Infrastructural
Development in Nigeria: The Rail Transport Sector in Focus …….
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205
21. A. Awogbemi, ‘Sustaining Evolution of Rail Transportation’, Newswatch, Published
August 9, 2014. www.mynewswatch.com Retrieved on 20th January, 2016
22. J. A. Odeleye’s work titled “Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development
in Nigeria. www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/f42_odeleye.html, Retrieved on the 12-06-2014
23. Review of Federal Government of Nigeria Policy on Railways,
www.uzochukwumike.hubpages.com› Travel and Places Retrieved on 5th October, 2015
24. E. K. Agbaeze, and 1. O. Onwuka, Boosting Railway System Infrastructure in Nigeria:
The Public-Private Partnership Option, www.afra.org.ng/download/8.pdf Retrieved on
the 26-08-2015
25. J. A. Odeleye’s work titled “Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway Development
in Nigeria. www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/f42_odeleye.html, Retrieved on the 12-06-2014
26. A. O. Suleiman and L. A. Oladimeji, Public –Private Partnership and Infrastructural
Development in Nigeria: The Rail Transport Sector in
Focus…….www.sciencedomain.org, Retrieved, on 12-12-2015
27. A. O. Ajiboye, ‘The Potentialities of Rail Transport as An Alternative for Meeting Mass
Transportation Demand in Nigeria in the New Century” A Paper Presented at the
National Conference on Revitalization of Road Transport in Nigeria. The Challenges of
the 21st Century. Held at Centre for Transport Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University,
Ago-Iwoye from August 14th – 16th, 2002
28. J. O. A. Ajakaiye, “The Effects of rail Transport on Socio-Economic Development of
Nigeria; A Case Study of Nigerian Railway Corporation 1995 – 2002” A MPA Thesis
Submitted at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 2005 p83
29. Oral Interview with Inspector Sunday Oguntola, Police Officer, Railway Station Offa,
55years, 22-06-2016
30. Picture Snapped: Abdulsalami Muyideen, Researcher, 45years 22-06 -2016
31. Oral Interview with Soji Adetunji, Railway Staff, Operation Manager, Railway Station
Offa, 51years, 06-04-2015
206
32. Oral Interview with Kadir Adedeji, Trader, Agbolese’s Compound Ijagbo, 65years,
October 22, 2014
33. Oral Interview with Arowolo Amuda, Retired Civil Servant, Beleore’s Compound Offa,
67years, 02-02-2015
34. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
35. Oral Interview with Lawal Amuda, Retired Railway Staff, 72years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
36. Oral Interview with Yahaya Afolabi, Marketing Department Offa Local Government,
Offa, 52years 07-02-2015
37. Oral Interview with Joseph Adedayo, Retired Railway Staff, 70years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
38. Oral Interview with Elder J.B Olaiya, Retired Railway Staff, 97years, Afelele Area Offa,
05-04-2015
39. NAK/1857/1965/SNP7: Government of the Federal Rebuplic of Nigeria, (Federal
Ministry of Information and Culture)
40. Oral Interview with Ebenezer Olawale, Retired Railway Staff, 75years, Afelele Area
Offa, 05-04-2015
41. Kwara State, Subdivision: https://www.citypopulation.de/php/nigeria-admin.php?
adm1id=NGA024, Rtreived on the 5th January, 2017
42. Oral Interview with Alhaji Yakeen Shittu, 2nd Vice President Offa Descendants’ Union,
56Years, GRA, Offa.
43. F. Nnabugwu, ‘FG Commences Privatization of Nigerian Railway’, Vanguard
Newspaper, May 7, 2015
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44. U. C. Ikechukwu, Progress, Problem and Prospects of Rail Transportation in Nigeria.
www.reikojournals.org/index.php/the-journal-of-social-and-economic?id=267 Retrieved
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45. C.N. Igwe, O.T. Oyelola, I.O. Ajibola, & S. Raheem, A Review: Nigerian’s
Transportation System and The place of Entrepreneurs in Journal of Sustainable
Development Studies, Volume 3, Number 2, 2013
46. F. Nnabugwu, ‘Abuja-Kaduna Rail Line to Be Delivered By December- FG’, Vanguard
Newspaper, October 22, 2014
47. I. Olumide, ‘Railway: The Return of the Economic Live Wire’, Vanguard Newspaper,
March 03, 2014
48. F. Nnabugwu, ‘FG Commences Privatization of Nigerian Railway’, Vanguard
Newspaper, May 07, 2015
49. Y. Ali (Northern Operation), ‘Nigeria-China Trade Hit $4billion’ The Nation Newspaper,
Published 23rd September, 2008
50. Seven Point Agenda (Plus Two Special Issues), www.nigerianmuse.com Retrieved on 16
October, 2015
51. O. Adigun, ‘Rail Transport…. The Way Forward’, The Sun Newspaper, Published on
Monday 10, March 2008
52. Seven Point Agenda (Plus Two Special Issues), www.nigerianmuse.com Retrieved on 16
October, 2015
53. Public-Private Participation to Rescue Railway---- www.jrtr.net/jrtr23/F24 Retrieved 0n
10 October, 2015
54. Y. Ali (Northern Operation), ‘President Under Pressure to Terminate $8.3billion Contract
With Chinese Film’, The Nation Newspaper, Published 18th June, 2008
55. A. Abiodun, ‘Sustaining Evolution of Rail Transportation’, NEWSWATCH Magazine,
August 9, 2014
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56. An Appraisal of the Nigerian Transport Sector: Evidence from the Railway and Aviation
Sub-Sectors www.uste.org/journals/index Retrieved on 10 October, 2015
57. Progressive Development of U.S. Railroads- 1830 – 1880,
www.cprri.org/museum/RR_Development Retrieved on 20th February, 2016
58. A Waheed & A Augustine, ‘Nigerian Railway Cities Bleeds: Stations Converted to
Brothel’, Leadership Newspaper, November 7, 2015
59. The Development of High Speed Rail in the United States,
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R2584-pdf Retrieved on 20th February, 2016
60. 150 Years of Rail in South Africa,
www.transnetfreight-tfr.net/Heritage/150years/150YearsRail.pdf Retrieved on 20th
February, 2016
61. South Africa Railway Heritage at Risk, www.jouranl.ub.un.heide/berg.de Retrieved on
20th February, 2016
62. South Africa: Investing in A New Era of Rail – Railway, www.railway-
technology.com/... Retrieved on 20th February, 2016
63. South Africa’s Transport Network,
www.southafrica.info/business/economy/infrastructure/transporthtm Retrieved on 20th
February, 2016
64. Transnet Freight Rail, www.transnetfreight-tfr.net Retrieved on 20th February, 2016
65. Gazette Notice, South African Transport Service, Act No. 65 of 1980,
www.greengazette.co.za/acts/south-african-transport-services-act_1981 Retrieved on 3rd
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66. ROVOS RAIL: Luxury Train Travel/ Train Tours & Accommodation, www.rovos.com
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67. Smriti Chand, Indian Railways Development: Factors Distribution and Improvement of
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factors-distribution Retrieved on 3rd November, 2016 p4
210
CHAPTER SEVEN
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE
7.1 Summary
This study has focused on the development of Offa as a result of the extension of the railway
transport in the area between 1907 and 2008. However, the geographical location of the study
area pinpoints the importance of the study area and its environs. The study revealed that before
the extension of railway transport to Offa and Nigeria at large, the major means of transportation
of goods and services were beasts of burden such as horses, donkeys and camels. Human
porterage was equally acknowledged as a means of carrying goods and services. The
introduction of railway transport greatly facilitated movement of people, goods and services,
since the initial means were far inadequate to meet the demands. The former became means of
carrying goods from the interior to the railway station for onward transfer to Lagos by railway
transport for export to Britain. Also, railway transport became means of circulating finished
goods imported by the British authority into the hinterland.
The introduction of railway transport greatly met the aspiration of British government primary
objective to evacuate large quantities of agricultural produce from the colonies to boost the
production of industrial productions in Britain. However, the study revealed that the extension of
the railway transport from Lagos to Offa, and the establishment of terminus in the area, made
Offa to become a focal point for development in central Nigeria.
211
This development created conveniences for the British authority to have a smooth control of
adjoining communities surrounding Offa and free access to Northern Province. The
amalgamation of Lagos Government and Kano-Baro Line in 1912 was a boost in social
economic and political activities in Offa and Nigeria at large. At that particular time, the
Europeans had opportunity to establish seat of government in Ilorin and subjected Offa to the
whims and caprices of Ilorin emirate. A singular act that was rebuffed by the Offa people during
the Usman Dan Fodio Jihad movement was achieved by the colonial authority through the
establishment of the railway transport in Offa.
However, the additional administrative tasks given to Offa as a district office made it to become
very important to other stations from Origo in Osun State to Mokwa in Niger State. Before the
amalgamation of 1914, Offa had become a strategic location for the British government as a
result of the railway system, which changed all strata of activities in Offa. It was a major shift in
the system of transportation in the area under study and its environs. In this manner, for the first
time, land acquisition for the development of the railway transport and other infrastructures such
as schools, hospitals, roads, markets and residential areas reserved for the railway workers was at
the front burner. Henceforth, remarkable changes were recorded in the social, political and
economic aspects of the people of Offa and it continued during the colonial period. Such changes
were evident with alteration of the previous economic foundation of Offa. For example the
introduction of cash crop economy with emphasis on taxation and crop production altered the
usual practice in economic activity.
Consequently, the railway station in Offa did not only promote the Offa chiefdom but also gave
the opportunity to collect tax from railway workers and other citizenry. This increased the
financial capability of the authority in Offa to carry out some major developmental programmes.
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However, total control of the tax collection was not in the hand of the Oba of Offa. He received
directive from Ilorin through the northern provincial officer.
The crop production led to the massive production of indigenous food such as potato and yam,
particularly potato, which was a household product and produced in large quantities for
commercial purpose after the extension of the railway transport to Offa.. The creation of major
markets for Offa and its environs was a significant development in the economic activity of the
area. It also brought many multinational companies such as PZ, CFAO, UNILEVER, etc. to set
up outlets. Railway transport made the distribution of finished products easy. “Goods Shield”
was built and it created job opportunity for many indigenes and outsiders. The extension of
railway transport connected the area under study to international trade because goods evacuated
by the railway transport from Offa terminus were carried to Lagos for exportation to European
countries, particularly Britain. The movement of railway transport solidified intra and inter-trade
activities between Offa and other African countries such as Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and
Ivory Coast.
The establishment of the railway terminus led to the creation of railway market around the
station, which became a beehive of economic activities in the area. Subsequently, a major market
known as Owode market was established in 1957. It was a big modern market constructed with
a motor park inside. This promoted commercial activities in the area beyond the enclave of Offa.
Socially, the extension of the railway transport and development of a suitable terminus was a
major boost. It facilitated movement of a large number of different sets of people to Offa. Offa
witnessed influx of large number of Nigerians and non-Africans who were experts in railway
industry. This created opportunity for inter-group relations even beyond the continent of Africa
213
for Offa people. The establishment of railway transport facilitated the construction of first
motorable road in 1906 between Oyo and Ibadan, which was a requisite for the construction of
road transport in other areas in Nigeria including Offa. It created opportunity for the construction
of motorable roads inside Offa and other adjoining communities surrounding Offa. The first
motorable road was constructed at Popo area.
The establishment of the railway transport opened up to remote areas such as Igbo-Oro. The
establishment of railway system also led to the commissioning of the first modern water source
for the railway workers in Offa. Interestingly, this water source has become a source of water to
Ipee people an adjoining community to Offa.
The extension of railway transport also led to the introduction of Western health care facilities in
the area. For instance, a health care facility was built to take care of railway workers, and its
services later extended to the indigenes. This served as the base for the establishment of general
hospital in 1947 in Offa.
Apart from the foregoing, the railway transport offered the first opportunity to Offa people to
deliver mails at that time. A separate arm was created by the railway authority saddled with the
responsibility of courier services. It later paved the way for the establishment of a Post Office in
Offa which served and still serves other communities like Ijagbo, Ajase, Ira, Igbona, Eleyoka,
Ilemona, Erin-Ile, Igosun and Ipee. The Post Office in Offa remained the District Office to all the
above mentioned towns up till date.
The extension of the railway transport and establishment of befitting terminus in Offa gave boost
to Christian missionary activities in the area. Huge success was recorded in terms of the
conversion of Offa indigenes to Christian. One of the positive effects of this was the
214
establishment of schools by missionary bodies which gave opportunity to Offa people to acquire
Western education. Among the schools established was St Mark Primary School established in
1909, followed by a Community grammar school known as Offa Grammar School founded on
the 13th February, 1943. This school gave opportunity to Christians, Muslims and even
traditionalists to acquire Western education.
Yet another religious effect was the propagation of Islam in Offa which received a major boost
as a result of railway transport extension. The railway transport opened Offa to Islamic scholars
who converted the people to Islam. Apart from the building of a central mosques which was the
first of its kind in the area under study. The Islamic scholars also introduced Islamic education.
More importantly, the Muslim community established schools like Ansaru-Deen College,
Nawru-Deen Grammar School which complemented Western education among Muslim
community in Offa.
The study also discussed the negative aspect of railway transport in Offa. It eroded traditional
values of Offa people. It introduced some elements of immorality in the cultural belief of the
people in Offa.
The inter-group relations through the establishment of the railway transport could be responsible
for the adulteration of cultural beliefs in Offa. However, the immense benefits derived from the
establishment of the railway transport outweigh the disadvantages. The establishment of
churches by Christian missionary helped the people of Offa to gain tremendously in Western
education.
The extension of the railway transport to Offa explained the role that railway transport played in
the introduction of democratic principle in line with western practice people of the area. The
215
study further analyzed the administrative structure of Offa terminus which was designed by
British government from Lagos and was one of the factors that brought the terminus, and Offa, to
prominence. The terminus had nine (9) departments responsible for the maintenance of its
equipment and those of other stations under it. This gave the station face lift in terms of standard
staff quarters and full-fledged standard office complex. The study shows that the growth of Offa
terminus led to the establishment of a railway club in the area in 1952. The club was for
recreational purposes for both staff of the terminus and others who were welcome into the centre.
This was, indeed, a boost to the social status of the place.
Unfortunately, the end of colonialism paved way for self-governance in Nigeria and created a
lacuna in the progress recorded from the extension of the railway transport to Offa. There was no
steady plan to sustain the tempo of development recorded by the colonial authority in Nigeria
during the extension and development of railway transport. This led to the collapse of the railway
transport sector in Nigeria. It affected all facets of the economy and social activities were equally
disrupted in Offa.
7.2 Conclusion
The study has shown how the extension of the railway transport to Offa made it a rallying point
in the movement of people and goods to other areas. Apart from providing the opportunity for
movement of goods and services in and out of Offa, it significantly improved the socio-economic
status of the Offa people and Nigeria at large. Consequently, many people outside Offa who
came as railway workers decided to take permanent residence in the area including traders,
Christian and Muslim missionaries. This has made the area under study a hub of commercial
activities, seat of religion propagation and the second largest town in Kwara State, Nigeria.
216
The study provides model of development in railway transport from other climes that should be
followed. To ensure that the Nigerian Railway Transport system work in line with the vision and
aspiration of the colonial authority who established the railway transport., Nigerian government
must ensure that technocrats are mandated to take charge of the railway transport. The countries
of the world who initiated the idea of railway transport have moved away from public ownership
of the railway transport to private ownership, which is germane to the development of the sector.
A good example is Britain, USA, India, South Africa and other African countries. The
transportation, particularly railway transport has been taken over by the private investors paying
taxes to government. This has created efficiency and prompt response to demand of people in
terms of service delivery.
We have seen how the initiative and the development of rail system have helped many countries
of the world to industrialise. Nigerian government should make rail system work since developed
countries have tried it and is working perfectly. The country has seasoned industrialist and
entrepreneur that are capable of operating efficient railway system in Nigeria. A good example is
in road transport business. Most of big transport companies had been in existence for many
decades with laudable successes. Private owners of road transport business like Ekene Dili
Chukwu Motors, The Young Shall Grow Motors, Mabanefo Motors etc. have proven their mettle
in the transport industry. They have shown that individuals are capable of running the business
and making appreciable progress. Even, if the railway transport required huge capital. In view of
this, privatization of the railway transport in Nigeria would make the sector more formidable and
efficient in the discharge of its functions based on approved government guidelines.
In view of the above, one could advance for the privatisation of the railway transport business.
This should be done devoid of nepotism and corruption in order to prevent the situation whereby
217
top government functionaries connive to sell government property to themselves and their
associates at the expense of the vast majority of Nigerians. The line of secrecy toed in the sale of
government properties such as Daily Times, Nigeria Airways should be completely eradicated.
The alternative method of attracting real business men to take over should be adopted in the
privatisation of the railway sector.
For maximum benefits to be achieved, the original design for the construction of the railways to
connect waterways for easy movement of goods across the country and beyond should be
resuscitated. It is even interesting to note that the immediate past government under Goodluck
Jonathan embarked on the dredging of Nigerian water ways throughout the country. Successive
Nigerian governments should embark on the completion of the project and ensure proper use of
the waterways to facilitate the country over land transport system. This would decongest our
roads busy and reduce the rate of accidents. More importantly, it would also extend the life-span
of our road network and reduce pressure on them
There should be railway network between Lagos and Abuja. This would create avenue for free
flow of goods and services between the old coastal federal capital and new inland federal capital
territory. Apart from that, all the state capitals should be connected with minimum of three major
cities in each state through railway network. This would increase economic activities between
the states in the country since there will be free flow of available resources and cash crops from
one state to the other.
Apart from expanding the railway network across the country, there must be a sustainable plan
for the development of the railway sector in order to bring back the lost glory in the railway
transport sector in the study area. This will also further develop the rural areas around Offa as it
218
was witnessed during the booming days of the railway transport in Nigeria. In addition, it will
create more employment opportunities to Nigerians in various capacities. If this trend had been
sustained many rural area would have remained hubs of businesses till date, and that would have
reduced the influx of young vibrant youths to the urban cities. It has been proven that mass
movement of young energetic people to the urban centres increased crime rates in our urban
centres because the available resources could not cater for them.
The proposed overhaul of the railway transport sector need to attract constitutional backing. The
constitutional provision which established NRC and gave government monopoly over the
railway transport sector, as reflected in the Act of Parliament of 1955, should be repealed.
Certainly in the structure of railway administration, the States and Local Governments have no
constitutional backing to have a stake in the railway transport business. The State Governments
cannot own a railway coach for the benefit of people, the provision of railway equipment and
maintenance strictly restricted to the federal government. Also, it has prevented the local
government from participating in the activities of the railway transport. This has crippled the
railway sector because the affected communities do not see themselves as partners in the affairs
of the railway transport business at their domains. For Offa to gain its social and economic
strength, it is pertinent to revive the railway transport sector. To revive railway transport and
create the enabling environment for interested parties in the sector and the host communities, the
following issues should be addressed in the legal restructuring:
a. The new legal structure should allow private participation in the railway transport
business. This would create the enabling environment for good investors from developed
countries to invest in the development of the railway system in Nigeria. This would
enhance both railway development and general economic growth in Nigeria, including
219
Offa, as it were in the past. The host communities should be given opportunities to
participate in the business of railway transport meaning that local government and states
should be allowed to be stake holders. This would guarantee security of railway transport
properties.
b. Only regulatory power should be given or reserved for the Federal Government to control
the railway transport for efficient service delivery to Nigerians. Royalty or freight
charges should be the only benefits accruing to the Federal Government. This would
equally enhance the financial capacities of both States and Local Government authorities,
and Offa being a Local Government Headquarters will benefit immensely from this type
of arrangement.
c. The maintenance of the old and new rail tracks should be given to private organisations
through concessional arrangement, while government focus on construction of more
tracks for easy access. This would create efficiency and prudent management of
resources for appreciable results. The concessional arrangement should be in the
following categories:
i. One arm of private participation should be in charge of new construction in partnership
with government. This could be on 40% and 60% arrangement. While government have
40% stake, the private company hold the remaining 60% stake. Power should be given to
private investors to buy new coaches and locomotives for proper maintenance of other
equipment in the railway transport sector.
ii. Building of railway stations and terminus should be given to private investors for the
benefit of the staff and travellers. This should be encouraged by government through
220
proper regulatory system. This would bring Offa terminus and others to world class
standard. Also, it would generate more revenue for the development of the area.
Furthermore, the 25 Year Strategic Vision for the Nigerian Railway System under Public Private
Partnership (PPP) which provided for the concesssioning of the existing railway facilities and
services and the outright sale of non-core asset by federal government in 2002 should be
reconsidered. The system allowed government to lease residential quarters to private
organization for proper maintenance. It creates the enabling environment for private organization
to partner Federal government on the provision of essential services in the railway transport
sector.
Other countries Africa such as Kenya, South Africa and Uganda have adopted and transformed
their railway sectors through this approach. And if this arrangement is allowed, many private
companies would be engaged as part of the transformation of the sector, and create employment
opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths. More importantly, it would make the organization
a profit oriented venture. The usual practice of running at deficit will be averted in the system.
Finally, it is hoped that if the above recommended suggestions are adopted the followings will
likely be achieved on the long run:
i. The inefficiency in service delivery by the railway management that causes delay in
arrival and departure, stealing and damages on transit would be eradicated.
ii. Bureaucratic bottle-necks will be reduced drastically in service delivery system of the
railway transport.
iii. Anticipated development in the political and economic spheres which motivated the
British Government to establish the railway transport would be restored.
221
iv. The original idea of evacuating goods (cash crop) at cheap rates and distribution of
manufactured goods would be achieved. This would create rapid development in
economic, social and political settings of the country which will trickle down to the
study area (Offa).
7.3 Contribution to Knowledge
In broad view, the study has contributed to knowledge in more ways than one:
it has added information on the development of the railway transport in Nigeria. The research
work has provided chronicle account of the extension of railway transport to Offa from inception
up to 2008, historical account of issues that are not well documented before are well captured for
the present and incoming generations; and study has broadened our understanding on the way
and manner the railway system could be managed or run to be result-oriented based on
international best standard or practice obtainable in other countries; it has widened our
understanding of the causes of the decline which led to collapse of the railway system in Nigeria;
The study has provided information about the control that Federal Government had on the
railway system which is an obstacle to the growth and development because of inconsistent in
the policies introduced by the government.
The study has equally brought to the limelight the connection or link between the railway
transport system and socio-economic and political development in the society. In this light,
analysis of the significance of the railway and socio-economic development through the
establishment are well captured in the work;
It has added knowledge to our understanding about the usefulness of railway transport in a multi-
faceted country such as Nigeria with different economic activities. The study has shown the
communities with non-food resources like oil that their existence depends on the food producing
222
areas or vice-versa. This would make the grain producers appreciate the timber producers. The
role of railway transport in the process of national integration in Nigeria cannot be over
emphasised.
In view of the above general contribution to the nation as a whole, the specific contributions in
this case refer to the implications of the introduction and development of the railway system in
Offa as follows:
i. it has provided a chronicle account of the extension of railway transport to Offa from
1907 up to 2008;
ii. The study has shown the place of Offa and its environs with their socio-economic
importance in Kwara; and
iii. It has provided very appreciable information about the socio-economic and political
benefits the extension of the railway transport to Offa brought to the area and its
adjoining communities.
223
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225
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5. NEWSPAPERS
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236
Appendix 1
Slippers Machine for turning of Slippers iron where rails are laid on track. Only two termini have the machine in Nigeria. The railway authority has one in the study area (Offa) and the other one in Enugu. The Machine was erected and serviced by GRAIG & DONALD LTD in Offa. The name inscribed on the machine is JOHNSTONE N. GLASGOW
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Appendix 2The Genealogical Tree of the Recorded Kings of Offa
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Appendix 3
This is paint workshop where all related arts works were being carried out effectively by the staff of railway transport.
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Appendix 4
Wood work workshop displaying all equipment erected for different functions
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Appendix 5
Mechanical Workshop for any iron related works
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Appendix 6
This is a separate store for Iron bend Workshop
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Appendix 7
This is the first C.M.S House built in 1909 after the construction of rail line in Offa. It was the only building used for Church activities then in Offa
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Appendix 8
These are separate mosques built together in a particular location. The first by the right hand was the first central mosque in Offa. The next one beside was built to support the old mosque renovated in 1990.
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Appendix 9
This is Signal & Communication Office in Offa. The structure is dilapidated and equipments for communication are kept in different office for communication.
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GLOSSARY
Glossary of Vernacular Words
Isakole - Homage
Adire – Tie dye
Oro – Bull whizzer
Ere - Idol Image
Eruko – Hoe Handle
Sanpona – God of Small pox
Agbagba – Duck
Eyele – Dove
Adiye - Fowl
Iko odidere - Red parrot feather
Esu – Devil
Anama- Sweet Potato
Odo - Mortar
Omo-odo- Pestle
Ogun- God of Iron
Oba - King
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