Calabar Monorail Project Has Arrived :)


PROJECT DATA

[info updated April 25, 2007]

Project Title: Calabar Monorail
Project Owners: Calabar Monorail Limited
Project Budget as at April 25, 2007: $36,000,000
Year Construction start: 2007
Creditors: African EXIM Bank
Design Consultants: N/A (A Mr. Wolfgang Hahn is Project Manager)
Contractors: N/A
Vehicle, track, and posts Manufacturer: N/A
Other subcontractors: N/A
Promoter: Cross River State Government
Designers/Architects: N/A
Route: (Phase 1) Calabar Airport <-> Tinapa Malls <-> Tinapa Hotel <-> Water Park
Number of stops: (Phase 1) 4

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Cross River embarks on $36m mono rail project
From Anietie Akpan, Calabar

THE first mono-rail project in Africa being planned for Calabar in Cross River State will cost $36 million (N4.5 billion).

The project, which is referred to as the Calabar mono-rail will link the Margaret Ekpo International Airport to Tinapa, covering a distance of 12.9km.

Performing the ground breaking of the project yesterday in Calabar, the Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke said the rail project would be funded by the African EXIM Bank, with assistance from Guaranteed Trust Bank (GTB).

He said 100 per cent of the funds for the project, which has been incorporated, is ready and study shows that it would be paid back within 4 to 5 years just as the manufacturing of the parts have started.

He further explained that the first phase of the

mono-rail project " will take us to Tinapa and later will take us to the length and breath of Calabar".

Duke, who breezed in from Abuja to do the ground breaking, said, " we are building this mono-rail project because we dread the traffic that will come to Calabar in future considering of tourists and visitors to Tinapa and the number of cars, hence we had to think of something radical".

Further justifying the need for the mono-rail project, Duke said present airport in Calabar would remain a local facility while the new one proposed by the Federal Government will be an International and cargo airport.

He said already, a site has been found for the new airport in Akamkpa, the outskirts of Calabar and "by next month there will be ground breaking for it"

The Project Manager of the project, Mr Wolfgand Hangs said the scheme was conceived since 2005 and when completed, the train will carry automatic doors, air-conditioners, television system and can be manually operated or without a driver.

He noted that the project involves building of the

tracks and manufacturing of the train which will be

designed to meet world class standard.

First, he said the project will start with one train capable of carrying 110 to 115 passengers at a time with a speed of 60 kilometres per hour. There will be four stations, namely, Airport, Hotel Tinapa, shopping complex and the Tinapa leisure/water park.

Zexyworm, you beat me to it. Great stuff

Is going to be a monorail in Lagos Airport as well!!

Waste of money. Invest that to get Lagos transport moving again.

^^Its call foresight...he's doing well for his state.

Even in the rich West they would not waste money on such a project! Oh Africa! The journey could EASILY be made by road.

Even in the rich West they would not waste money on such a project! Oh Africa! The journey could EASILY be made by road.

Yea, the soon to be congested roads much like Lagos huh? Actually the west is where it is today because of foresight something our African leaders(except for a few) lack. Let the man do what he's doing, it'll pay off eventually, instead of waiting till things get bad to start acting. God Bless Duke.

They (the West) werent building monorails for projects like this. I live in the UK and there is not even ONE similar project. All the monorails are in heavily populated urban areas or carry people between various parts of the airport. This is typical African "showmanship". I bet you the local hospital could do with the money!

They (the West) werent building monorails for projects like this. I live in the UK and there is not even ONE similar project. All the monorails are in heavily populated urban areas or carry people between various parts of the airport. This is typical African "showmanship". I bet you the local hospital could do with the money!

This isn't your typical African "showmanship" my friend, this is what you call investing in the future. Instead of seeing everything as black and white(like most Africans do) and lumping every African leader into one broad negative category analyze the given situation. Even if the Almighty West isn't doing it, so what? Do we have to do what they do all the time? Just because they don't have something like this does that mean it's wrong? No. Duke sees something alot of people aren't seeing and that's the future potential, he's investing in a monorail now because he believes there'll be a hugh influx of tourists coming into the state and he believes that will ease congestion on the roads. You talking about the local hospitals in the state that's ranked one of the most efficient in Nigeria considering the fact that Cross River doesn't even get that much money from federal allocation. This Tinapa resort will hopefully bring in money for the state and will help realize the basic amenities are taken care of.

BTW, Are you Nigerian?

Then the tourists can use roads. Just like in every other country in the world! MILLIONS of British tourists go to Spanish beaches. Do they have monorails from the airport to the beaches? What he should be doing is improving the roads instead. As I said, a waste of money.

Then the tourists can use roads. Just like in every other country in the world! MILLIONS of British tourists go to Spanish beaches. Do they have monorails from the airport to the beaches? What he should be doing is improving the roads instead. As I said, a waste of money.

I don't think you're Nigerian and I doubt you've ever been to Nigeria before...Britain and Nigeria is like apples and oranges. This is a monorail that's going to a business resort not a beach so there's a big difference. Calabar roads are very good(speak with facts or do research) so your "improving the roads" argument is pretty much void and finally you're not seeing the importance of easing traffic. Sorry kiddo, Calabar needs this.

Well if the roads are good they can use the roads then! Roads are cheaper, cheaper to maintain and carry MANY more people than a monorail!

Oh yeah. Chicago, one of the biggest business destinations in the WORLD. You know how the vast majority of people get to the business district? By bus!!!

You're talking about spending money to maintain roads while I'm talking about making money to benefit the masses. Why spend allocated money to maintain good roads when the money can be invested into something that can yield bigger returns? We're not living in the 1970s anymore where we just spend as we get, we should be looking at long term investments.

Explain to me how the MORE expensive monorail, MORE expensive to maintain which carries LESS passengers can yield bigger returns? This better be good......

Explain to me how the MORE expensive monorail, MORE expensive to maintain which carries LESS passengers can yield bigger returns? This better be good......

Easy. Economic multiplier effect from tourism-related revenues (1), saving of fuel costs because the system will be electric (2), it will help relieve Calabar car traffic and render it a more pedestrian-friendly city (3), and ast but not lease contribute to the ongoing universal effort to reduce emissions and thereby saving the precious environment (4).

Any more questions? :lol:

"saving of fuel costs because the system will be electric" and how is the electricity generated?

"it will help relieve Calabar car traffic and render it a more pedestrian-friendly city"- do you know how many people monorails can take?

"Economic multiplier effect from tourism-related revenues "- haha. Thats too funny. People arent going to come just to sit in a monrail!

I repeat, a monorail is much MORE expensive and carries much LESS passengers. There is NO sense at all. A monorail from Lagos Airport to downtown, fair enough, Lagos has a very high population and the roads are very congested. Calabar does not even have a serious traffic problem!!

This is just a tragic joke and reminiscent of the showboy ideals on the 60s. Do Africans EVER learn? and Nigerians wonder why their HDI lags behind other poorer African countries!!

If this was in the UK, they would have to do an independent economic feasibility study of it and it would CERTAINLY fail.

You're talking about spending money to maintain roads while I'm talking about making money to benefit the masses. Why spend allocated money to maintain good roads when the money can be invested into something that can yield bigger returns? We're not living in the 1970s anymore where we just spend as we get, we should be looking at long term investments.

:) :)

"saving of fuel costs because the system will be electric" and how is the electricity generated?

"it will help relieve Calabar car traffic and render it a more pedestrian-friendly city"- do you know how many people monorails can take?

"Economic multiplier effect from tourism-related revenues "- haha. Thats too funny. People arent going to come just to sit in a monrail!

I repeat, a monorail is much MORE expensive and carries much LESS passengers. There is NO sense at all. A monorail from Lagos Airport to downtown, fair enough, Lagos has a very high population and the roads are very congested. Calabar does not even have a serious traffic problem!!

This is just a tragic joke and reminiscent of the showboy ideals on the 60s. Do Africans EVER learn? and Nigerians wonder why their HDI lags behind other poorer African countries!!

If this was in the UK, they would have to do an independent economic feasibility study of it and it would CERTAINLY fail.

Its very clear you didn't do your research on the monorail and you're basically relying on beer parlor discussions and assumptions to make your point. Google up the Calabar monorail and research on it.

Your points are very contradictory because you talk about monorails not being able to carry enough people but you then go on to say that a monorail should be built for Lagos. Please let me remind you that Lagos has about 5 times and population of Calabar and it wouldn't really even make much sense, according to your logic. If a monorail can be built in Lagos(which it will be) then it can be built in Calabar.

Nobody said people are going to come to Calabar to sit in the monorail but it's definately a bonus to the tourists and citizens of the state. Think about how much money will be generated from ticket sales and the jobs it will create (operation, maintenance, etc). That's what you call long term development and multiplier effect not some 'here today gone tomorrow' quick fix.

I don't think you're a Nigerian and you're basically jumping the "automatically blame any African leader" bandwagon. I think you should look at every development objectively and analyze the situation, think long term and research.

I dont think whats being planned for Lagos is a monorail actually. Its another form of light rail, akin to the Docklands in London.

BTW, monrails are NOT meant for mass transit so your argument that it could be used to carry large amounts of tourists is inheritently flawed. They are too slow for that. Almost ALL monorails in the worlds are situated in theme parks/airports.

I repeat again. Monorails are SLOW, EXPENSIVE, and dont carry as MANY PASSENGERS as roads. Why is DD building one then?

No one has presented a clear, substantiave argument for a mono-rail in a low-density city such as Calabar.

The $35million budget is a joke and shows how out of touch Nigerian leaders are with reality. Since when do monorails cost so little? Well if Nigerians keep on wasting their money on such outrageous projects then there will be even more civil unrest than there is now and no tourists will be going anywhere!

Oh how I will weep when they find oil in Ghana!

Good night and keep on dreaming!!!

I dont think whats being planned for Lagos is a monorail actually. Its another form of light rail, akin to the Docklands in London.

BTW, monrails are NOT meant for mass transit so your argument that it could be used to carry large amounts of tourists is inheritently flawed. They are too slow for that. Almost ALL monorails in the worlds are situated in theme parks/airports.

I repeat again. Monorails are SLOW, EXPENSIVE, and dont carry as MANY PASSENGERS as roads. Why is DD building one then?

No one has presented a clear, substantiave argument for a mono-rail in a low-density city such as Calabar.

The $35million budget is a joke and shows how out of touch Nigerian leaders are with reality. Since when do monorails cost so little? Well if Nigerians keep on wasting their money on such outrageous projects then there will be even more civil unrest than there is now and no tourists will be going anywhere!

Oh how I will weep when they find oil in Ghana!

Good night and keep on dreaming!!!

Whats being planned for Lagos is Light Rail Transit for mass transit, however I remember reading somewhere that a monorail was going to be built from the MMA to the City Center(or Centre). Nobody said the Calabar monorail was going to be for mass transit, it is going to have about four stops and one route...doesn't sound like mass transit to me, please read the article to verify. You said monorails are slow...GOOD! This way passengers can sight-see on their way to Tinapa. You also said they are expensive...if you make your money back it's not expensive. Lastly you stated it doesn't carry as many passengers as the roads...where in the world does any form of transportation carry as many passengers as the road? The point of public transportation is to ease conjestion not annihilate road use.

$35 million may be small but it's a start...money made from the monorail and other ventures could be used to expand later on, in business this is called TURNOVER. What civil unrest are are talking about? in Calabar? Calabar has always been very peaceful and if you didn't know that then I'm afraid you're the one that out of touch with reality. Finally if they do find oil in Ghana I'll be happy because It'll benefit W Africa plus I have family and friends from there.

Poppa or whatever they call you,I beleive that you lack basic education about mono-rail project.It is not actually for a short term benefit. But the advantages out-weight the disadvantages.I would like the Governor to continue with the project.Atleast the world is no longer ok with fumes as a large contributing factor to the green house effect.Think of it,brother!

also talks about what electricity, I think to provide and maintain the monorail there has to be 24hr power and who will avail of that, oh yeah, the locals. The KL monorail carries as much as 100,000 passengers daily and I would be safe to say that is a relief of the roads. This is well planned, scheduled, monitired and hassle free transport, It think is a sentence not associated with Nigeria.

..also talks about what electricity, I think to provide and maintain the monorail there has to be 24hr power and who will avail of that, oh yeah, the locals....

..availbility of electricity will be a problem in nigeria for at least one decade. so thats why i can imagine a diesel-electric solution for metrolines in nigeria - in many countrys diesel electric locomotives are common and work rentable.

For all those who are doubtful of the long term benefits of the Calabar Monorail project, please consider that the Cairo-based Afreximbank would NOT have lent the necessary funds (USD 35 million) without a sound and promising business plan being submitted.

People who are familiar with Governor Duke and his efforts in office will agree that he is a man of great vision and intelligence. He is not betting on immediate individual success for the cable car project, Tinapa or the monorail initiative. Rather, he believes in syergies, multiplier effects, and a solid infrastructure to promote further private sector investment and returns to his state and peoples (hence the new airport, monorail, reliable bus network, etc).

Kudos for Donald Duke.:cheers:

yes they r not doing it for a project like this. but this one in the final stage would go round the town and serve as their metroline when completed so it is a good development. by the way i'd like ta introduce myself as the latest addition to nigerians on this forum site.

iluvnaija, great! You are welcome! more and more Naija people, our community is growing!:banana: :banana:

Iluvnaija, welcome to SSC|Africa, where it all happens. It's good to have another Nigerian aboard. :banana:

Welcome on board iluvnaija..hope you have a good time here. :cheers:

Iluvnaija, too!! Welcome aboard!!

If the monorail is to lead from old airport to tinapa,my question is, why build a new airport!!

Apparently it will be more cost efficient to build a new Airport rather then rehabilitate.

If the monorail is to lead from old airport to tinapa,my question is, why build a new airport!!

Phase 1 of the project will link Tinapa to the old airport. Phase 2 will extend the network to Calabar metropolis (numerous stations) as well as the new airport. This is what I inferred from the articles.

Actually, if the old airport is to be discarded soon making way for a newer airport, why bother to connect Tinapa to the old airport at this stage?

My guess is that the route will serve the Calabar community near the airport and eventually stop enroute at newer stops along the way to Tinapa which is further north. In other words, the launch route (4 stops) is part of the overall plan anyways regardless of the existing airport.

I read that the Margaret Ekpo Airport(CBQ), will not be Expanded, but a new one is being drawn up. If the Airport was built close to Tinapa, then a Mono Rail could be connected to the Airport. There are no plans to refurbish the Ageing Airport, so it makes no sense to Connect it to a MonoRail.:ohno:

I read that the Margaret Ekpo Airport(CBQ), will not be Expanded, but a new one is being drawn up. If the Airport was built close to Tinapa, then a Mono Rail could be connected to the Airport. There are no plans to refurbish the Ageing Airport, so it makes no sense to Connect it to a MonoRail.:ohno:

Let's be realistic on one thing: Even if the new airport project is realized, it won't be open before say 2009, my guess is around 2010. Until then, and as Soomi said, it makes sense for the monorail to *stop* at the old airport if it is indeed along the Tinapa-Calabar axis.

It's at moments like these that I wish Google Earth's Nigeria coverage was decent....

I wish the same thing too. Only a patch of land north from Lagos Island, Some parts of the Niger Delta, and isolated parts of the River Benue have good coverage. But perhaps wth time, things will improve. Nigeria has three satellites, can't Google Earth work with Nigeria to ensure better coverage?

I wish the same thing too. Only a patch of land north from Lagos Island, Some parts of the Niger Delta, and isolated parts of the River Benue have good coverage. But perhaps wth time, things will improve. Nigeria has three satellites, can't Google Earth work with Nigeria to ensure better coverage?

Naijasat 1 is due for decommissioning soon, as it's approaching its design life cycle of 3 years.

Any hope of Nigeria leasing coverage to Google earth. Nigeria would get money from such a service, and we would have better coverage:)

Or will the New satellite (NigeriaSat-2) be predominantly for telecommunications?

Even in the rich West they would not waste money on such a project! Oh Africa! The journey could EASILY be made by road.

Number one.
You have no idea what you are talking about. The rich West would never "waste" money on a monorail?
Investing money in public transportation is never a waste of money. NEVER.

Monorails of the world
Japan:
Tokyo-Haneda? It carries 137,900 people a day. Shonan Monorail carries 30,000 people a day. Chiba City carries 40,000 people a day. Osaka carries 77,900.

Malaysia:
http://www.monorails.org/webpix/Malamono.jpg
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- 45,000/day

China:
http://www.monorails.org/webpix%202/Chongqing.jpg
Chongqing

Australia
http://www.monorails.org/webpix/Sydney.jpg
Metro Monorail, Sydney

USA
http://www.monorails.org/webpix/Newark.jpg
Newark International Airport, New Jersey

Knowing that rich countries have them should make you feel better now:ohno:

1) Nigeria is NOT a rich country, it is one of the POOREST in the world.

2) It is the equivalent of a monrail connecting a regional airport in Spain to a tourist resort. Can you show me an example of this ANYWHERE in the West where this has been done? In Chicago, one of the largest coneference desitinations in the world, most people get the bus into the business district.

1) Nigeria is NOT a rich country, it is one of the POOREST in the world.

2) It is the equivalent of a monrail connecting a regional airport in Spain to a tourist resort. Can you show me an example of this ANYWHERE in the West where this has been done? In Chicago, one of the largest coneference desitinations in the world, most people get the bus into the business district.

It doesn't matter if Nigeria is a rich or poor country. The Monorail can be used as a means as public transportation. The monorail can be expanded to encircle the city. Increasing the number of passengers and the area it covers. Having the monorail connect to a resort (business or tourist) is not unheard of. The Sydney Monorail was done as part of a tourism development. And the Loop is accessible by more than just busses. What about rail?

It is the equivalent of a monrail connecting a regional airport in Spain to a tourist resort. Can you show me an example of this ANYWHERE in the West where this has been done?
I already have. You don't feel like looking the information up yourself. Tokyo-Haneda? Haneda is an airport, Tokyo is a city... The Tokyo-Haneda monorail connects the airport directly to Japan's largest city.
Disney-designed Mark IV ring a bell? These trains move 150,000 people a day! And this is only in Disney World.

http://www.monorails.org/webpix/WDW.jpg

Another example would be the Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail
http://www.monorails.org/webpix%202/150LVSandsRun.jpg

I could show you example after example but I don't think that would be of any use.
The monorail would help reduce traffic and I think it is a damn good idea. I hope they continually expand on the idea.



I don't know why you think a monorail is bad.

Originally Posted by popa1980 View Post
1) Nigeria is NOT a rich country, it is one of the POOREST in the world.

2) It is the equivalent of a monrail connecting a regional airport in Spain to a tourist resort. Can you show me an example of this ANYWHERE in the West where this has been done? In Chicago, one of the largest coneference desitinations in the world, most people get the bus into the business district.

hey...the rankings you saw is not based on nigeria not having money,talking about richest in africa,nigeria can not be forgotten.

note:why is it that nigeria recieves the lowest aid to africa.
remenber nigeria is the back bone of african union.
remember,nigerian aid to liberia hit 8 billion dollars in 2006.
nigeria is the fifth largest contributor to united nations.

where do you want nigeria to spend her wealth?

Naija, and above all Nigeria has more and more local entrepreneurs and brand names and a burgeoing urban midle-class! I am dead sure that the projects we present here are only a fraction of what truly gets built or what is proposed in the country!

Let´s keep in mind that Nigeria´s GDP stood somewhere around $38 Billion dollars in 1999 and it will be above §145 billion at the end of this year (due to IMF).

The market capitalisation of our stock exchange will hit more tan $100 Billion in 2008 (up from less than 6 Billion in 1999/2000)

Nigeria has paid off its debt dutifully and holds something around $50 Billion US dollars in foreign exchange resserves! (more than some of the South East asian tigers apart from Malaysia)

It is Sub-Sahara´s Africa´s second most industrialised economy

More and more international circles are already dealing with Nigeria as the next global "emerging market gem"

Every firth African is a Nigerian


...and so on and so forth:)



Nigeria just needs more sweeping highways, more nice airports, glass and steel office towers, and many more private airlines (not just Air Arik, Aero Contractors , Virgin Nigeria and Niccon, the rest is still trash...), dozens of new mega malls in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and even one big one in Kano or Kaduna (people are burning for more mall development in Nigeria, Nigerians are awfully brand-conscious people), more modern hospitals and amusement centres and then there is no difference at least in appearence to Asian countries.:)

Nigeria: $36 Million Calabar Mono-Rail Project Takes Off:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :applause: :banana2: :cheer:


This Day

April 26, 2007
Posted to the web April 26, 2007

Ernest Chinwo
Calabar

Work on the $36 million Calabar Monorail project formally started Tuesday, with the ground breaking ceremony performed by the Cross River State Governor, Mr Donald Duke.

Performing the ceremony at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport , Duke said the state government conceived the project to take care of the anticipated traffic increase in the state capital as a result of the Tinapa Business Resort.


He said when completed, passengers would be ferried directly from the Airport to the Tinapa Business Resort by a modern rail transportation system, a distance of 12.9 kilometers.

He said the project, expected to cost $36 million, would be completed in 18 months and that the funds were provided by the African Export-Import Bank based in Cairo.

Duke assured that the monorail project, which he said is the first in Africa, is highly profitable and private sector driven and that investment in the project would pay back in about four years.

"This project, as sophisticated as it may seem, is guaranteed to work. The first phase will be from Margaret Ekpo International Airport to the Tinapa, while the second phase will link other areas of the hinterland," Duke said.

Giving details of the project, the project manager of Calabar Monorail Ltd, Mr Wolfang Hahn, said the project was conceived in 2005, and assured that it would be completed in 18 months.

According to him, the Calabar Monorail offers state of the art, reliable, modern transportation system that meets or exceeds all safety requirements, " adding that the train would be equipped with passenger's compartment with optimal comfort combined with functional modern design. Each compartment, according to him, is equipped with automatic sliding doors, air conditioner and two-way communication system, as well as Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
He also said the trains could be operated manually with a driver on board, or be equipped with Automatic Train Guiding System, allowing fully automatic operation without a driver on board.

The train, he said, would carry about 110 passengers and travel at a maximum speed of 60 kilometre per hour.

Hahn said the design and engineering of the off-shore parts of the project was already in progress in Europe, while the sub-soil investigation for the foundation for the monorail transport system has reached 80 per cent completion, and a reputable firm was being engaged to undertake the foundation work.

Let´s keep in mind that Nigeria´s GDP stood somewhere around $38 Billion dollars in 1999 and it will be above §145 billion at the end of this year (due to IMF).

The market capitalisation of our stock exchange will hit more tan $100 Billion in 2008 (up from less than 6 Billion in 1999/2000)



where can i finde the source of that figures? sound like an gigantic economic growth rate! ..

some facts by someone who with just rudimentary economic knowledge:

nigeria did´t pay off its dept in reality.. nigeria dept was 60% abated by its debtors. even with its $50b foreign exchange resserves it would never been able to pay that $30b dept off. cause to have $50b does not mean taht you can mobilise $50b.

and please explain me why does nigeria neend more "glass and steel" towers? who should invest money for that?

matthias,let's hope so.

where can i finde the source of that figures? sound like an gigantic economic growth rate! ..

some facts by someone who with just rudimentary economic knowledge:

I think Matt stated on the IMF website..

nigeria did´t pay off its dept in reality.. nigeria dept was 60% abated by its debtors. even with its $50b foreign exchange resserves it would never been able to pay that $30b dept off. cause to have $50b does not mean taht you can mobilise $50b.

The point is we dont owe any countries, we don't suffer from intrest rates from debts and so on and so fort!! What if we didnt pay it all off and sonme we dropped?? what difference does it make?? Why did you bring that up just to fuel an arguement?? Please!! We a bit more mature now arent we.


please explain me why does nigeria neend more "glass and steel" towers? who should invest money for that?

Dubia seems to be booming because of its appearence, it is the world capital of skyscrapers, this earns it huge tourism reciepts and so why should Nigeria be any different!! land in Nigerian Cities are quite expensive, not only do these contribute to over all look of an area thay also creat reliable infastructure, we no longer live in the 30's where a city is built with low rises. Wake up and smell the coffee, this will be a major development step!!

So Disney world monorail was paid for by the state?

Seriously, I'm STILL waiting for you to show me ANYWHERE in the WORLD where the state has paid for an expensive monrail from a SMALL airport to a yet unproven (or even proven) tourist destination. These are NOT the examples you are showing. You are comparing chalk and cheese.

A quote about the Las Vegas monorail- "No public money was needed and no future taxpayer money obligation is planned".

Reality will sink in one day.

Arthabitat3, on whose said are you on, please? You often seek ways to turn positive developments taking place in Naija into shit!:ohno:

May I jsut direct you to the article that I have got the numbers from, it was published by the Financial Times, so it is serious stuff and no daily blabla!:)


Nigeria may be the next emerging markets gem


http://www.arcaajans.com/genel_images/logo-financial-times-1.jpg

December 11th, 2006
By Chuka Mordi

Published: December 4 2006 02:00 | Last updated: December 4 2006 02:00
Outside South Africa, sub-Saharan African capital markets represent the last frontier for the unhindered flow of global capital. The problem has always been the absence of the combination of scale and local expertise required to attract global fund managers.
This bleak situation is finally improving in a perceptible fashion. In the first week of October, the Nigerian government, via the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), allocated a total of $7bn (€5.3bn, £3.6bn) to be jointly managed by its local banks and global fund managers. Each global manager, in partnership with a local Nigerian bank, received $500m.
This has been little commented on but it highlights the role of technocrats in managing the economy and their growing influence over the propensity of politicians to spend state funds. The CBN has traditionally kept the external reserves as deposits with foreign banks, and this is the first time that it is appointing foreign asset managers to manage part of its reserves. The effect this will have on the long-term emerging market outlook for Africa in general, and Nigeria specifically, is significant.
The mandate is a global fixed income one, but it is our prediction at Nex-Rubica that in the next three years, on the back of current growth trends, local securities will be included in the asset mix. There is currently not enough depth in the Nigerian market - its market capitalisation is $31bn, total issue of government bonds about $4bn - to support such a large inflow of cash without overly inflating the market. But the Nex-Rubica forecast is for this size to double between now and the final quarter of 2007, surpassing Egypt by 2008.
A variety of factors influence this prediction. Twelve months ago, in market cap terms, Nigeria had just one bank capitalised above $1bn. Following a government-driven consolidation exercise, there are now six banks of this size, varying from $1bn to $3bn. With banks showing top-line growth in the triple-digit range, high double-digit underlying growth and a market penetration of just 15 per cent in a population of 140m people, the expectation of at least 10 banks capitalised above $5bn in the country by the end of 2007 is plausible. Current consensus estimates for banking sector profits for 2007 are above 200 per cent
With the financial services sector as a catalyst and a significant number of new issues in the pipeline, our projected market size of about $100bn in equities by year-end 2008 will be just about right for decent-sized emerging market funds to take a serious look.
The CBN foreign reserves allocation is due to rise to $12bn within the next few months when the remaining 11 banks acquire foreign partners, and then to $25bn within the next few quarters when allocations are raised to $1bn each.
The object of this exercise is capacity building for the Nigerian banks in the fund management sector. He who has the gold makes the rules, and the issuer of a $25bn mandate can easily switch from global equities to African equities at a stroke. At present, this is an implausible if not impossible scenario but it will not seem so outlandish in 18 months. The reserve management programme in itself will not transform the market, but it is indicative of a nation that has finally come round to the concept of orthodox fiscal policy and - most important - accountability.
African markets have been growing at a phenomenal rate. The key drivers for this growth have been a relaxation in the regulatory regime, privatisation of government corporate holdings and relative stability in the major African economies. In Nigeria, the high oil price has enabled the country to clear its $35bn debt, build up an excess of $50bn in foreign exchange reserves, increase spending and embark on significant restructuring of the economy. While global stock markets have grown steadily in the past five years, the major African stock exchanges have experienced almost exponential growth.
In spite of the growth, only three African markets outside South Africa possess the scale to attract anything other than niche emerging market funds. These are Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria. Of these three, Nigeria is showing the highest growth prospects.
In the last year, the outperforming stocks on the Nex-Rubica Africa Top 40 Index, have been Nigerian financials. One key attraction is that the risk/return profile in the Nigerian market is generally uncorrelated to western markets. Starting from a relatively low base, Nigeria alone has the momentum in terms of its population, resources and growth potential to catapult it to the first rank of emerging market economies.

Chuka Mordi is director of strategy and head economist at Nex-Rubica, a pan-African specialist

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006

I am in full agreement that the Nigerian financial sector has huge potential. The laws that forced them to merge should be enacted all over Africa where we have too many ineffective small poorly-capitalised and poorly-functioning banks.

So Disney world monorail was paid for by the state?

Seriously, I'm STILL waiting for you to show me ANYWHERE in the WORLD where the state has paid for an expensive monrail from a SMALL airport to a yet unproven (or even proven) tourist destination. These are NOT the examples you are showing. You are comparing chalk and cheese.

A quote about the Las Vegas monorail- "No public money was needed and no future taxpayer money obligation is planned".

Reality will sink in one day.

My friend does a subway count, a town in Italy with a population of less than 50,000people is getting one ill get source for you later!!

So Disney world monorail was paid for by the state?

Seriously, I'm STILL waiting for you to show me ANYWHERE in the WORLD where the state has paid for an expensive monrail from a SMALL airport to a yet unproven (or even proven) tourist destination. These are NOT the examples you are showing. You are comparing chalk and cheese.

A quote about the Las Vegas monorail- "No public money was needed and no future taxpayer money obligation is planned".

Reality will sink in one day.

It doesn't matter the size of the airport. Tokyo Haneda goes from the airport to Tokyo. Sentosa Island Monorail.
36 million USD is not expensive.
And it is called investing. Investing! The government is investing in infrastructure. Putting more people on the road is not a brilliant idea.

Monorails regularly operate at an amazing 99.9% reliability. No other form of transit can touch that number. Monorails turn profit! The monorail guideway can be constructed to be an enhancement rather than a detriment to the environment. Monorails are also easier to construct.

1) Nigeria is NOT a rich country, it is one of the POOREST in the world.

2) It is the equivalent of a monrail connecting a regional airport in Spain to a tourist resort. Can you show me an example of this ANYWHERE in the West where this has been done? In Chicago, one of the largest coneference desitinations in the world, most people get the bus into the business district.

Well first of all for a nation that you think is so poor , Nigeria now has bond rating status with the Standard and Poors index on Wall Street because of good economic policies that has Nigeria is a great position as Mathias has pointed to. The Nigeria Diaspora community worldwide is sending about 6 billion us annually into Nigeria.

Nigeria owns about 3 billion dollars as of this year for foreign debt which is about 3 percent of annual GDP.The monies saved in Debt servicing of both the London and Paris club debts has Nigeria in the position to buy back outstanding warrants or bonds on their oil fields. Great Britain on the other hand owes about 44 percent to foreign interests compared to annual GDP. Canada is about 2,5 percent.

Per capita GDP is about 1100 dollars but remember that is for a population of 130 million plus. You have lower per capita GDP in Nigeria but you also have lower costs of living and few social programs which in industrial countries are highly mismanaged and underfunded.

Pension funds in western economies are a big problem with the baby boomer populations getting to retirement age and birth rate rate being in the negative numbers for decades. Labour shortages are actually having it so that you have fewer workers paying into national pension schemes and thus a big financial problem. Nigeria does not have that problem. The demographic is that over 20 million Nigerians are per teen. 33 million Nigerians are gainfully employed which is more then Great Britain and the average life span of a Nigerian is 61 .

Nigeria is not a developing nation it is a fast emerging economy that Asian countries like India, China, South Korea and Malaysia are investing heavily.
Privatization of national industries is also driving economic reforms. The Virgin Group purchased the national airline a few years ago and is building Nigerian Virgin Airways into a modern carrier with little government investment.
Virgin is building their own section on the Abuja airport which is also now coming under private control.

Nigeria is so poor that they have 22 million cellphone customers and by the end of the year will have an addition 12 million.

Yes everytime I see someone say Nigeria is so poor I have to ask . Do you mistake Nigeria for Niger which is indeed a very poor nation even by African standards.

As to the original subject here and monorails Newark, New Jersey's Liberty Airport has a monorail loop for their five terminals yet Newark is one of the poorer cities on the eastern seaboard of the united states. Newark Liberty will probably soon be receiving direct flights from Lagos and Abuja Nigeria via Sir Richard Branson's Nigerian Virgin Airways like it does with Virgin Atlantic.


Monorails can make sense with a short distance high traffic loop whether it is in Newark New Jersey or the cross river state in Nigeria. The interests that keep monorails out of the picture are usual automobile and oil company based.

Jim Jones Wins !!!!!!!

Arthabitat3, on whose said are you on, please? You often seek ways to turn positive developments taking place in Naija into shit!:ohno:

May I jsut direct you to the article that I have got the numbers from, it was published by the Financial Times, so it is serious stuff and no daily blabla!:)


i am still waiting for the IMF figures.. cant´find them on their homepage!

It doesn't matter the size of the airport. Tokyo Haneda goes from the airport to Tokyo. Sentosa Island Monorail.
36 million USD is not expensive.
And it is called investing. Investing! The government is investing in infrastructure. Putting more people on the road is not a brilliant idea.

Monorails regularly operate at an amazing 99.9% reliability. No other form of transit can touch that number. Monorails turn profit! The monorail guideway can be constructed to be an enhancement rather than a detriment to the environment. Monorails are also easier to construct.

That so so true!:)

"Yes everytime I see someone say Nigeria is so poor I have to ask . Do you mistake Nigeria for Niger which is indeed a very poor nation even by African standards.

As to the original subject here and monorails Newark, New Jersey's Liberty Airport has a monorail loop for their five terminals yet Newark is one of the poorer cities on the eastern seaboard of the united states. Newark Liberty will probably soon be receiving direct flights from Lagos and Abuja Nigeria via Sir Richard Branson's Nigerian Virgin Airways like it does with Virgin Atlantic.


Monorails can make sense with a short distance high traffic loop whether it is in Newark New Jersey or the cross river state in Nigeria. The interests that keep monorails out of the picture are usual automobile and oil company based.

Jim Jones Wins !!!!!!!

Are you serious here? Newark airport is a massive international airport which serves the great New York, a city with a GDP several times that of the whole of Nigeria. Is this what you base your argument on?

Nigeria IS, i repeat IS a poor country, in terms of living standard, Nigeria ranks 159 out of 177 countries in the world. Thats what you call poor. A country is not rich or poor by the number of cellular phones but ultimately of the living standard of its population (Eq Guinea has one of the highest GDP per heads in the world, it is STILL a poor country!!!)

And to all those people who think that you can build a monorail for $35million- REALITY?????? Monorails cost between $10-40million PER KM. The gullibilty of the African.......no wonder our leaders get away with corruption and incompitence......

And to all those people who think that you can build a monorail for $35million- REALITY?????? Monorails cost between $10-40million PER KM. The gullibilty of the African.......no wonder our leaders get away with corruption and incompitence......

Damn, what do you want? Should we keep on living in little straw-huts and keep on riding on old cranky "Meloni-Buses" for the next 50 years while Big Mama prepares powered yam in front of the the straw and clay hut or what????:bash: Africa has to enter modern age! The world is already laughing at us...and I can´t stand it anymore! To get out of poverty, you need some big-scale projects and a monorial is nothing big-scale it is standard! If you like it or not or no matter if Nigeria is still poor or not, jobs will be created (construction sector direct and indirect), new projects can work as an incentive for others to come up with new projects, too! We need to move ahead get thing realised instead of discussing everything over and over again, those endless blabla is not helping Africa but ACTION this is what counts!

This projects gets built and BASTA ....end of this useless discussion!

Damn, what do you want? Should we keep on living in little straw-huts and keep on riding on old cranky "Meloni-Buses" for the next 50 years while Big Mama prepares powered yam in front of the the straw and clay hut or what????:bash: Africa has to enter modern age! The world is already laughing at us...and I can´t stand it anymore! To get out of poverty, you need some big-scale projects and a monorial is nothing big-scale it is standard! If you like it or not or no matter if Nigeria is still poor or not, jobs will be created (construction sector direct and indirect), new projects can work as an incentive for others to come up with new projects, too! We need to move ahead get thing realised instead of discussing everything over and over again, those endless blabla is not helping Africa but ACTION this is what counts!

This projects gets built and BASTA ....end of this useless discussion!

EVERY discussion on this forum is essentially useless because thats what it is- just talk- no action. Dont read into it TOO much. Its all endless "blabla" as you put it. Its not like any of us are actually going to build the stuff that we discuss, is it? :nuts:

Nigeria is a country of "the future", and it always will be :ohno:

popa why u being negative.....if nigeria wants to build a monorail who the fk are you to talk negative about it. Are they using ur money?

popa why u being negative.....if nigeria wants to build a monorail who the fk are you to talk negative about it. Are they using ur money?


No swearing please. Frank or otherwise. Does that mean that we can criticise something only if its OUR money involved. Since when?

So we shouldnt have criticised Mugabe when he decided to hold a lavish party whilst his people starve?

So we shouldnt have criticised Bush for spending billions on a war?

So we shouldnt have criticised the former President of Ivory Coast when he spent $300 million on a Cathedral?

So we shouldnt have criticised the King of Swaziland (or Lesotho??) when he was spending lavishly whilst his country was suffering?

After all, its not out money, so who cares after all?:bash: That is really poor and warped reasoning!

No swearing please. Frank or otherwise. Does that mean that we can criticise something only if its OUR money involved. Since when?

So we shouldnt have criticised Mugabe when he decided to hold a lavish party whilst his people starve?

So we shouldnt have criticised Bush for spending billions on a war?

So we shouldnt have criticised the former President of Ivory Coast when he spent $300 million on a Cathedral?

So we shouldnt have criticised the King of Swaziland (or Lesotho??) when he was spending lavishly whilst his country was suffering?

After all, its not out money, so who cares after all? That is really poor and warped reasoning!

My Goodness, Popa1980, what is your problem that Nigeria gets a monorail? Are you jealous or what?

The monorail gets built (it has started), even if all of us burst now , we can´t do anything about it, all we can do is say "thank you, Mr Duke!" for having the courage and willpower to dust off Calabar and bring it to life! We all should be happy about it instead of badmouthing this marvellous project, the scope of which we cannot fully understand as outsiders!

Once again a monorail is Standard it is nothing special, (look at Asia, Europe, Latin America or North America, all have their tubes or monorails or MRT´s) so why the hell not Nigeria? Tomorrow it will be another country in Africa or elsewhere....

In Asia new developments are celebrated in Africa they are either destroyed or spitted upon!

I was once told that this forum is for "architecture" and "construction" discussions only, and that there was no room for political discussions.

In any case, I think Popy has a valid point. He is a skeptic, and there's only one way we can convince him that he's wrong on Calabar's monorail feasibility: and that's letting time pass and judge then on the success or otherwise of this public / private investment...

BR.:)

^^ Lol

No swearing please. Frank or otherwise. Does that mean that we can criticise something only if its OUR money involved. Since when?

So we shouldnt have criticised Mugabe when he decided to hold a lavish party whilst his people starve?

So we shouldnt have criticised Bush for spending billions on a war?

So we shouldnt have criticised the former President of Ivory Coast when he spent $300 million on a Cathedral?

So we shouldnt have criticised the King of Swaziland (or Lesotho??) when he was spending lavishly whilst his country was suffering?

After all, its not out money, so who cares after all?:bash: That is really poor and warped reasoning!


Dubai is spending billions of dollars to build the world's tallest building and the largest mall in the world. And Nigeria build a monorail you wanna criticize???
How stupid are you....its called advancing in the world.....Dubai is building all that cuz they want to be a tourist country ....cuz the way the middle east is seen by the westerners is that its a terrorist place. But dubai is turning that around with tourist attractions and not just to be an oil rich country but also a tourist country. That is what Nigeria wants to do with the monorail in Tinapa...Nigeria dont have many tourist visiting the country....Look at south africa....look at their facilities. Tinapa is set to become Tourist # 1 spot to visit in Nigeria....and u criticize Nigeria lol ur funny.

I was once told that this forum is for "architecture" and "construction" discussions only, and that there was no room for political discussions.



dude, you are wrong! this forum is for high-rise discussions only.. i got the feeling that not everbody realised this fact..

dude, you are wrong! this forum is for high-rise discussions only.. i got the feeling that not everbody realised this fact..

No you are wrong. This forums is a continental forum within SSC. Valid topics is everything man-made!! From town planning to infrastructure and buildings...

No you are wrong. This forums is a continental forum within SSC. Valid topics is everything man-made!! From town planning to infrastructure and buildings...


well but even if your definition is right.. you could close 20% of all threads.. this is so sad to see.

Dubai is spending billions of dollars to build the world's tallest building and the largest mall in the world. And Nigeria build a monorail you wanna criticize???
How stupid are you....its called advancing in the world.....Dubai is building all that cuz they want to be a tourist country ....cuz the way the middle east is seen by the westerners is that its a terrorist place. But dubai is turning that around with tourist attractions and not just to be an oil rich country but also a tourist country. That is what Nigeria wants to do with the monorail in Tinapa...Nigeria dont have many tourist visiting the country....Look at south africa....look at their facilities. Tinapa is set to become Tourist # 1 spot to visit in Nigeria....and u criticize Nigeria lol ur funny.

Dubai is NOT Nigeria. Nigeria has more pressing problems to worry about. Like rampant poverty and corruption, being the 8th largest exporter of oil but ranking in the bottom 25 in the world for living standards and a sham "democratic" election.

Dubai is NOT Nigeria. Nigeria has more pressing problems to worry about. Like rampant poverty and corruption, being the 8th largest exporter of oil but ranking in the bottom 25 in the world for living standards and a sham "democratic" election.

All the monorail is for is to attract tourist....there more way to make money and it is tourism....Atleast the Government are spending their money on something instead of keeping it in their pocket. stop bishing already and get a life.

dude, you are wrong! this forum is for high-rise discussions only.. i got the feeling that not everbody realised this fact..

This is wrong my friend how come there is a transport section as well??

Dubai is NOT Nigeria. Nigeria has more pressing problems to worry about. Like rampant poverty and corruption, being the 8th largest exporter of oil but ranking in the bottom 25 in the world for living standards and a sham "democratic" election.

blah blah blah poverty blah blah corruption blah blah blah...

I guess the only way to solve poverty is for governors to spray this money on citizens

Seeing as how you know everything how would you alleviate poverty o wise one?

ty pappy

Dubai is spending billions of dollars to build the world's tallest building and the largest mall in the world. And Nigeria build a monorail you wanna criticize???
How stupid are you....its called advancing in the world.....Dubai is building all that cuz they want to be a tourist country ....cuz the way the middle east is seen by the westerners is that its a terrorist place. But dubai is turning that around with tourist attractions and not just to be an oil rich country but also a tourist country. That is what Nigeria wants to do with the monorail in Tinapa...Nigeria dont have many tourist visiting the country....Look at south africa....look at their facilities. Tinapa is set to become Tourist # 1 spot to visit in Nigeria....and u criticize Nigeria lol ur funny.

Denisrodman, you are 100% right!:) I really don´t know what this fk fuss is all about! It is just a plain and simple monorail, there is nothing special, it is standard! Monorail projects are mushrooming on this globe nowadays...sooo???

I mean Iran has a monorail and Nigeria shouldn't, Baby please!!

blah blah blah poverty blah blah corruption blah blah blah...

I guess the only way to solve poverty is for governors to spray this money on citizens

Seeing as how you know everything how would you alleviate poverty o wise one?

Well I'm glad you find poverty and corruption such a blablabla issue. Im sure those in it would disagree. I could go on FOREVER about how I would solve poverty in Nigeria. I would first start with food self-sufficiency and BASIC, non-extravagent transport infrastructure (ie NOT monorails).

And Matthias, monorails are NOT popping up in countries which are not far from the bottom of the living standard list. You seem to be forgetting that the real cost is obviously not $35million which is clearly a joke. $35 million for a 12k monorail? This man is a joker! :lol: :lol: :lol:

And Matthias, monorails are NOT popping up in countries which are not far from the bottom of the living standard list. You seem to be forgetting that the real cost is obviously not $35million which is clearly a joke. $35 million for a 12k monorail? This man is a joker!

ohh, please, oooo. You are beginning to wreak my thin nerves on this topic! I don´t see the connection between poverty and monorail project. I am on the verge of explosion already!:bash: :bash:
Thailand wasn´t a rich country twenty years ago but it dared to launch some mega-projects ...with results all visible, one won´t impress anyone with a two lane highway leading to Tinapa City....bo matter if you are poor or rich nation you need to dare something! And stop saying endlessly that Nigeria is horribly poor , it takes just one Nigerian business magnat to buy off entire smaller African countries without even batting an eyelid. At least we in Nigeria we have such local magnats who can push frontiers...and their numbers are growing and not decreasing!

And Tinapa Resort will have a spin-off effect! Popa1980, we could go on discussing this for ages , but there is no use because neither nor me will stop this project, it is getting built, FULL STOP!!!!

. Full stop lol

popa1980,where are you from once again?

Well I'm glad you find poverty and corruption such a blablabla issue. Im sure those in it would disagree. I could go on FOREVER about how I would solve poverty in Nigeria. I would first start with food self-sufficiency and BASIC, non-extravagent transport infrastructure (ie NOT monorails).

And Matthias, monorails are NOT popping up in countries which are not far from the bottom of the living standard list. You seem to be forgetting that the real cost is obviously not $35million which is clearly a joke. $35 million for a 12k monorail? This man is a joker! :lol: :lol: :lol:

You should start a "STOP THE MONORAIL" campaign I'm sure it will be very effective seeing as how Duke is a very understanding man.

dude, you are wrong! this forum is for high-rise discussions only.. i got the feeling that not everbody realised this fact..

Well if that's the case, then SSC is littered with "Offtopic" threads

Canandian WorldCup Bid
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=449321

Postive Image, thread.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=461489

Here's a Thread from SSC|South Africa, It is not so "High Rise' (I guess it should be closed)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=353144

This is quite similar to this thread
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=468284

Even the Mighty Dubai has gone offtopic
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=112669
____________________________________________________________________________________


Popa1980, Tinapa and the all the Crossriver projects going on are feasible. In a decade or two, The Residents of CrossRiver state will be one of the happiest people in Africa and even the world. The Monorail, will enhance Transportation, Again Jobs will be created. Eve Indonesia is going MonoRail crazy when 50% of Indonesia's poplation lives on less than US$2 a day, they also have major security issues, yet like Nigeria they choose to embark on such developments, You should direct some attention to them to, I believe Indonesia has a Forum
:lol: :lol: :lol:

watch interesting videos from cross river state in nigeria fron this link which includes obudu cattle ranch.
http://dukepac.biz/

governor's office calabar-cross river state.
http://dukepac.biz/gallery/g.11j9b33dr.58em40gk5r.7g/scaled/media/0000098.jpg?cc=1168030920000

view from obudu ranch.
http://dukepac.biz/gallery/g.11j9b33dr.58em40gk5r.7g/scaled/media/00000058.jpg?cc=1168030932000
2
http://dukepac.biz/gallery/g.11j9b33dr.58em40gk5r.7g/scaled/media/00000060.jpg?cc=1168030932000

Nice pics, but can we stick to the topic? (The Monorail project).
Thanks!:cheers:

Nice pics, but can we stick to the topic? (The Monorail project).
Thanks!:cheers:

better start a new one when the project is flagged of in reality and publicated to the web/newspapers with some images.. actually everyone here (inculing myself) is speculating on the basis of 2-3 news articles without profound knowledge.

Great for nigeria, that it is getting Africas first monorail, its always a good thing to start such big projects. At this africa's first is not from south africa. Well done

i am still waiting for the IMF figures.. cant´find them on their homepage!
Go to their page, search for Nigeria Statistical Appendix, and read it!

As reported by National Daily newspaper

Matters arising...

---------------------------------


Furore over $36m monorail contract
•Duke in trouble


From OKWE J. OKWE, Calabar

THE recent award of 36 million US dollars contract for the construction of Nigeria's premier monorail in Calabar has added to the already over-bloated debt of the Cross River State Government.


Governor Donald Duke awarded the contract two months to his exit, leaving criticisms to trail the project as the state government is reportedly indebted to the tune of over N100 billion already. National Daily learnt that Ponet Nigeria Limited got the contract but concern is growing as members of the public are questioning the rationale behind the contract with another airport underway for Calabar.


Duke had explained that the monorail project was necessary to decongest traffic in the capital city by connecting the Margaret Ekpo International Airport with Tinapa Business Resort. But under an agreement with the Federal Government, the state government is building another airport at Odukpani, near Calabar, to accommodate heavy aircraft and cargo planes. The joint financiers will each cough out N6.5 billion.


Another contract which Duke awarded is the Millennium Park. The park, located in the heart of Calabar is being reconstructed. However, neither Julius Berger which got the job nor the state government disclosed the amount involved.


It was learnt that the monorail contract may strain relations between Duke and his in-coming successor and friend, Liyel Imoke. The governor-elect has started crying foul that 50 per cent of the contract sum had been paid up front.
He reportedly told associates that if so much had been committed into the project, the outgoing governor should go ahead and complete it. It is feared that he may review the contract.


Meanwhile, Duke is leaving behind a legacy of abandoned projects especially in road construction and bad infrastructure.


While the governor's urban renewal programme was a success in Calabar, Ugep and Ikom, it failed in Ogoja and Obudu as the roads are still deplorable.


In Calabar South, most of the roads earmarked for construction were surface-dressed and provided with drainages but not asphalted. Today, such roads/streets are potholes ridden and in some places ponds for duck fowls to swim in.
Other local government areas with state roads are left to their fate as the government kept complaining of shortage of fund to execute such projects even when provision is yearly made for them in the budget.


Rural electrification is another sector with many abandoned projects. Whereas over 300 villages were connected to the national electricity grid, about 100 of them have electrical poles only to show for connections. Other abandoned projects include the general hospitals in Obudu, Yala, Boki, Bekwarra, Etung, Akpabuyo, Biase and Abi as well as high court complexes constructed in several local government areas of the state
In the four campuses of the Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) are uncompleted projects. The slow pace of work on them is caused by poor funding.


It was gathered at the state Ministry of Works that substantial payment for some of the projects had been made, hence the contractors would be encouraged to continue even as such projects would be included in the hand-over

"saving of fuel costs because the system will be electric" and how is the electricity generated?

"it will help relieve Calabar car traffic and render it a more pedestrian-friendly city"- do you know how many people monorails can take?

"Economic multiplier effect from tourism-related revenues "- haha. Thats too funny. People arent going to come just to sit in a monrail!

I repeat, a monorail is much MORE expensive and carries much LESS passengers. There is NO sense at all. A monorail from Lagos Airport to downtown, fair enough, Lagos has a very high population and the roads are very congested. Calabar does not even have a serious traffic problem!!

This is just a tragic joke and reminiscent of the showboy ideals on the 60s. Do Africans EVER learn? and Nigerians wonder why their HDI lags behind other poorer African countries!!

If this was in the UK, they would have to do an independent economic feasibility study of it and it would CERTAINLY fail.


wow
your so wrong
Donald Duke is looking at the future and not at the present!!!!!!!!!!
In the future Calabar will be congested because of Tinapa, so they need other means of transportaion.

The Monorail is a great Project!!!!!!!!!1
It will bring in a lot of investment to cross river and Nigeria

So Disney world monorail was paid for by the state?

Seriously, I'm STILL waiting for you to show me ANYWHERE in the WORLD where the state has paid for an expensive monrail from a SMALL airport to a yet unproven (or even proven) tourist destination. These are NOT the examples you are showing. You are comparing chalk and cheese.

A quote about the Las Vegas monorail- "No public money was needed and no future taxpayer money obligation is planned".

Reality will sink in one day.
the monorail will be from the new international airport that is being built.
You just hate crossriver :P

It's ongoing now according to informations.

basically u wnt the problem o ccongestion to cme b4 thm tryin ta solve it..and u say tinapa is an unproven tourist destination so they shouldnt create a monorail link...tht dnt mke no sense...thy have to do everything at the begginnig do it has a good start.

krypt

CHINA HELPS WITH REVOLUTIONARY "FAST" RAIL
22 March 2006 In terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria’s federal Government on 16 March, the Guangdong Xinguang International Group is to construct a revolutionary “fast” rail (RFR) system from Lagos to the capital Abuja,as well as light rail lines to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport from Lagos city and to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from the Abuja city centre.

The airport links will be very useful in cutting commuting time to Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos. How far is Abuja roughly from Lagos by road?

Dubai is NOT Nigeria. Nigeria has more pressing problems to worry about. Like rampant poverty and corruption, being the 8th largest exporter of oil but ranking in the bottom 25 in the world for living standards and a sham "democratic" election.

Popa1980, poverty alleviation and modernizing Nigeria's infrastructure does not have to be mutually exclusive. It is possible to tackle food security, housing, sanitation, electrification while building monorails and improving airports etc. Its just a question of prioritisation. I personally would like to see govt prioritizing power generation (which i believe they are doing judging by President Yar'Ardua statements when he came to office).

I guess the one problem that is very African has definitely been misguided priorities, i know this because i am an African myself and i see a lot of friends back home who will chose a BMW over a house!!! So i know what you are talking about and wont pretend like its not a problem, but i don't think development and poverty alleviation is mutually exclusive, it can be done together but more emphasis must go into poverty alleviation. Debates like this are normal and serves to remind us all that we still have challenges. We have had similar debates in SA regarding whether FIFA World Cup 2010 is worth more than building houses with that money.

any pics of this project

Work on the US$36mn Calabar Monorail project linking Margaret Ekpo International Airport with the Tinapa Business Resort has been formally launched.

WORK ON THE US$36mn Calabar Monorail project linking Margaret Ekpo International Airport with the Tinapa Business Resort has been formally launched. When completed, passengers will be ferried in comfort over the 12.9km from the airport to the business resort. The project manager of Calabar Monorail Ltd, Wolfgang Hahn, has said each train would carry about 110 passengers at a maximum speed of 60kph. The project is being funded by the African Import-Export Bank based in Cairo.

WORK ON THE US$36mn Calabar Monorail project linking Margaret Ekpo International Airport with the Tinapa Business Resort has been formally launched. When completed, passengers will be ferried in comfort over the 12.9km from the airport to the business resort. The project manager of Calabar Monorail Ltd, Wolfgang Hahn, has said each train would carry about 110 passengers at a maximum speed of 60kph. The project is being funded by the African Import-Export Bank based in Cairo.

Awesome news:cheers:, by the way does anybody has a clue what has become of D. Duke, he is no longer the state´s governor.

by the way does anybody has a clue what has become of D. Duke, he is no longer the state´s governor.

I know that he spoke last week at the Ogun State Economic Submit. He may have become a consultant with Ogun State, but I need to confirm this.

I thought they were building a new airport in Calabar?

I thought they were building a new airport in Calabar?

Yea, that along with the new Monorail...How comes no one has any pictures...strange.

Imoke Modifies $36m Calabar Monorail Project
From Ernest Chinwo in Calabar, 11.19.2008

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Cross River

Cross River State government has said it has modified the $36 million Calabar Monorail project, designed for passengers from the Margaret Ekpo International Airport to Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort.
Government said funds for the project would rather be used to develop an intra-city rail route, starting at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, through some densely populated areas of the calabar metropolis, before getting to Tinapa.
The State Governor, Liyel Imoke, who disclosed the policy shift in Calabar, in his presentation of the 2009 budget proposal to the State House of Assembly, said the state had to reappraise the project, because of delays in commencement of full commercial operations at the Tinapa Business Resort.
Imoke said, “delays in the commencement of full commercial operations at the Tinapa Business resort led to reappraisal of the development of the Calabar Monorail route. The state government decided that funds for this project would be utilised to develop an intra-city route, starting at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport through certain populated areas of Calabar, and along the Murtala Mohammed Highway, up to the Calabar City Gate and subsequently to Tinapa.”
He said construction of the new intra-city route would commence in 2009, while the original phase 1 route to Tinapa, would be developed after full operations at Tinapa justifies its undertaking.
The ground breaking ceremony for the Calabar Monorail Project took place in April, 2007, during the administration of governor Donald Duke and was scheduled to be completed in August 2007. The project is funded with the support of the African Export and Import (AFRI-EXIM) Bank.

Nice idea 'cause it's the people who are going to be transported to Tinapa. The monorail passing through densely populated areas will give opportunity to shoppers doing their shopping in Tinapa with ease instead of being disturbed in the horrific traffic.

The monorail is being delayed by the present governor. It supposedly to have been completed by 2007 and the projection is causing the slow transportation of people to Tinapa.

I know this is a very later "after-discussion" posting, but popa1980 is clearly not at all some person who has any knowledgd of monorails, nor of public rail (ANY kind of...) in general. I guess he/she is glued to his/her car as a matter of genetic outcome only...
I guess the recent credit crunch came inbetween the former project ideas (2007) and any followup (2009). So, next talk, PERHAPS, will be mid 2010 ? Not because of monorails beeing good or bad...

1/
Monorails as well as elevated track or underground light rail & classic rail (full size metro/trains) ... aLL belong to exactly the same type of public mass transit tech: OFF ROAD, including NO road level crossings.
So, the VERY FIRST objective to build some of these mass transit systems, is to avoid ALL road interference. INDEPENDENCY of local trafic chaos, accidents and downtown SLUG-Speed. (Average speed, downtown on the road IF the trafic IS moving, is very often something around 15-35 km/h, folks ! Not only the speed is legally limited, there are crossings, trafic lights, just slowing crowd and anything...) Take a course in urban trafic matters, and open your eyes to reality.
A monorail of "ONLY 60km/h", can get to averages of 55km/h... then, +- double of downtown street level speed. About REAL speed of different public mass transit types, later.

2/
WHY don't you see much monorails in especially Europe and US ?
Different Answers:
- because there is "Too much space" left (especially US)
- because massive investments have been done in underground railroads, dating back as much as 147 years now, allready.... reflected in the industries that actually produce such equipment. Underground railways are the most expensive to invest in, in any terms !!! YET, they are build... because the cities 'need' them.
- because, ALSO, repeatedly ANY attempt to build elevated transport systems (of any kind) in especially European cities, especially historic city centers, has been politically rejected. It is about the visual aspect. Not efficiency or costs. Cities are "Happy" (!!??) to pay 3, 4, 5, 6 ... times MORE on total investment costs, just to get the transport burried underground.

3/
Then, many things to consider:
- Elevated track light or normal rail, are the cheaper next option, less expensive towards total track building expenses, BUT only possible where there is ample space. So, usually SAME basic types of equipment as underground, but a bargain track layout, OFF centre of city.
- Light or normail rail systems, however, both need a double infrastructure: Their own track (cost of rails and feed, stabilising and leveling) .. PLUS independently .. cost of building tunnels, high-berms-&-fencing or full bridging. These structures take up a massive amount of both capital investment and space, just to allow the tracks beeing laid out ON or IN it.
- monorails just start from a totally different viewpoint regarding infrastructure: joining the loadbearing structure AND the rail in only one rather slender, small & light production piece. The average cost of total per-km monorail infrastructure layout, is the LOWEST of all in the industry. (I am VERY sorry, popa1980) Sometimes, tunnels have been included in a monorail network as well, because a mountain was in the way... but that is not representative: a ROAD would need a tunnel as well, in that specific condition.
- Allthough monorails first got develloped and patented in Germany (Wuppertal infrastructure = hanging type, ALWEG patent system = piggy back type), through general rail-industry powered decisionmaking (big capital involved !!!), these never got any foothold in Europe. Then, Disney bought an ALWEG license for its first monorail in Disneyland (1955 ? ... so NO, Disney did NOT invent that thing, it was a German patent !!!... just bought it.) Through this action, curiously, he introduced in the USA the 500% wrong stubborn idea that a monorail "must" be an attaction !!! THAT was the semi-religious reason why in general nobody wanted to build mass transit monorail systems in the USA !!! (Remember, Seatle WAS build... because is WAS a world exhibition attraction feed line... http://www.seattlemonorail.com/history.php ) Merely the near-religious counter advised dogma that you cannot provide such an amusement park thing in a city as "normal" transport.... At the other hand, global car/bus/truck industry and the just as near-religious "all on the road" attitude of the Americans, got them stucked in busses, as the ONLY means of public transport in the far majority of all cities, delivering them with ridiculous long driving times if compared with many European cities, to go from point A to distant point B.
- If underground conditions are bad, like earthquake area, rock or hills or water, underground rail becomes even more expensive, sometimes totally impossible. Such conditions apeared FOR INSTANCE in many Japanese cities.
- The Japanse were the first to consider ALL different technologies on a NON-ETHICAL-NON-SEMI-RELIGIOUS (!! ;) ) base, to be studied, develloped and used, to their specific TECHNOLOGICAL and OPERATIONAL merits of implementation. As such, Japan adopted largely the ALWEG patent (others are minor), and develloped it into a full range of capacity classes. Hitachi alone, delivers 3 classes of ALWEG track and equipment, fit to NEED.
- developments in metropolitan monorail based mass transit, is quite an exploding industry in Japan, new lines and networks build and opened one after the other, all over the country. The Japanese are well known to have a perfect insight in public transport, and in FEASBILITY of those, as they ALLWAYS consider the choise of an endless range of solutions, and pick the ones that FIT a specific situation.
Monorails are more and more favored for their cost efficiency, and their highly flexible and space saving characteristics !!
- IF politics are NOT against the looks of a monorail passing by over your head, or in front of your office windows, THEN there are still ample possibilities to provide nice integration of the infrastructure in the environment. It takes up SO LITTLE space, on ground level, that esthetic integration provisions are a REALISTIC possibility. Not so with massive train equipment bridges (SAME ugliness with even more massive road bridging !!!!!!)

4/
Speed? Capacities? Feasibility? Safety?
Regarding safety, public transport monorails rank lonely at the top, in statistics comparing all different kind of transport techs.
Capacities VARIE just as much as ANY light rail type of transport can varie. There is not such a thing as "the capacity of a monorail". As low as a few hundreds/h up to many tens of thousands/h , both on a one-line , one point of reference comparitive base.
Rethoric arguments "against the capacity of monorails" thus, are preaches for the open sky with only one cloud as an audience... Same as comparing the 2,1 meter narrow single pass country road, and a 2 times 8 lane motorway....
The same goes for SPEED. You order, you get it. That is it, basically. Speeds are comparably within the full range that apply as well to light rail systems. So, same stubborn argument about "THE" (sic) speed of a monorail, is completely VOID.
- Feasibility !?? SEE Japan, go introduce yourself at the various public transport companies, in a many cities where they operate, plan and build lines, BECAUSE they are feasible. Thank you very much...

Does anyone know the current status of this project? We have not heard anything about it for quite some time.

Its still alive.....barely.....it’s still on the cross river state’s website, under “special projects”. It’s also on CPCS website. but I’m guessing its not on the governments main agenda, they have more important things to worry about.

http://i40.tinypic.com/vhf8kj.jpg

C’ Rivers shelves $112m monorail project
Written by Oluwole Ige, Calabar
Wednesday, 02 June 2010

Proposed mono rail project, worth $112 million, hitherto conceived by the Cross River State government to boost its transportation service has been dropped, the state governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has said.

He disclosed that detailed report submitted by the consultants of the project informed the decision of his administration to do away with the capital intensive venture.

Imoke, who spoke to newsmen in Calabar over the weekend, maintained that the reports of the consultants indicated the non viability of the projects, which he observed, would gulp so much capital to implement.

The governor remarked that though the financial condition of the state had fairly improved, compared to previous debilitating experience ocassioned by the loss of 76 oil wells to neighbouring Akwa Ibom state, “ there is need to judiciously use the state resources in pursuing programmes that will have direct and quick impacts on the citizenry.”

According to Imoke, the state guaranteed the debts of Tinapa and other projects of significant obligation and liabilities and it needed some sort of restructuring and fiscal priorities to reserve some revenue for development because it was duty bound to attend to the needs of the people, who elected the government.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/6262-c-rivers-shelves-112m-monorail-project


--looks like we might as well close this thread

some of these nigerian governors are clowns. i cant believe some of the bullshit they come up with, talking about we need to make developments that provide quick results. no vision whatsoever. so you mean to tell me a gov is not supposed to make any long-term investments to benefit the masses?

any updates of this monorail

Cross River re-designs Tinapa, mono rail projects
Thursday, 15 December 2011

THE Cross River State government has said that it has re-designed the Tinapa and mono rail projects to make life easier for the people of Calabar, while promising a timely delivery of the projects in order to boost economic activities in the state.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the state, Patrick Ugbe, in a tele-conference with journalists recently, informed that the $36 million mono rail project, as was designed from the beginning, was unrealisable thereby prompting the administration of Governor Liyel Imoke to re-design it.

“Imoke has deployed the latest technology by re-designing and re-modeling the initial elephant project inherited by his predecessor in a way that the state will spend nothing on it’, he said, adding that the project would tackle the challenge of transportation from the airport to the Tinapa resort. “The initial plan was such that would not have been realised,” he said.

On Tinapa, Ugbe said that issues bordering on Tinapa were basically regulatory and were beyond the control of the state government. He however infromed that the state government had introduced international convention centre, which comes with a five star hotel, international golf course, as well as international health care facilities to boost activities at the Tinapa resort and ensue that it worked.

Responding to a recent newspaper report (not The Guardian), which quoted former Governor of the state, Donald Duke, to have said that the Tinapa project was not working, the commissioner said, “well, I will say that we are surprised to hear such a comment from him. If at all he was not mis-quoted. It would be very unfortunate and disappointing if such comments actually came from him because he should know better. There was no framework on ground as at when the resort was flagged off. He knows what his successor has gone through just to ensure that a framework is drawn,” he said.

Earlier, Special Adviser to Governor Imoke on Media, Omini Oden, told journalists that the state government was also working with the federal ministry of communication technology to set up an ICT based knowledge city at the Tinapa resort to take care of the youths of the state.

According to him, gone are the days when Tinapa was dormant due to regulatory challenges. He said that a lot of activities are now taking place at the complex as the state government works to add more.

Speaking on the achievement of the state government so far, he said that its programmes are targeted at the grassroots especially. According to him, about 300 communities now have roads in the state while another 300 farmers’ cooperative societies have benefitted from loans to boost agricultural production.

The access roads, has added values to the prices of produce and increased farmers’ income, he said. Also according to him, several communities have been connected to the national grid, thereby reducing rural-urban drift because artisans can now earn a living through the use of electricity.

“In the last three years, Imoke has proved to believe in sustainability of government policies made by his predecessor; and in the rule of law. He has positioned Cross River better than he met it. By second week of January, yam farmers will be assisted with loans. More than 25 youths are under scholarship to study ICT and community medicine.

“The Calabar Festival is doing better because the governor has a public private partnership vision. Calabar festival funds itself,” he said.



source (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70792:cross-river-re-designs-tinapa-mono-rail-projects&catid=31:business&Itemid=562)