‘Why Japan is involved in $1 billion Lagos railway project’

Hirotaka Nakamura is the Chief Representative of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). In this interview with ALIFA DANIEL of the Abuja Bureau, he explains why the Japan bilateral implementing agency does not visit North-East and South-South areas; and why he thinks that power supply and human capacity issues are atop of the needs of the country. Excerpts.

What is JICA’s operational profile in Nigeria
JICA has been in Nigeria since late 1970s and that time the country’s capital was in Lagos so our office was also in Lagos. And in those days Japan and JICA has been focusing on Agriculture mainly and it is into cooperation as well as Japanese soft loan, concessionaire loan project. In the course of those projects the country’s security situation got worse and we evacuated early 80s and then from early 80s until 1992 we had no intervention as JICA in Nigeria. Our cooperation as I just mentioned focused on Agriculture but as well as human capacity building.

We reopened our office in early 1992 in Lagos, we started our programme not only on agriculture but also on education, water, health sectors. We moved our office from Lagos to Abuja in year 2000, and even after relocating our office in 2000, we have being doing variety of sectors projects including capacity building. But due to another security issue happening in 2012, I think due to the Boko Haram issues, we had to focus on our projects in very limited states- Abuja, Nasarawa and Niger; and Southwest in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo, these are the main target states currently.

We had already done our grant aid project which we donate drilling rigs and we already finished to donate these rigs to these five states but the project design is made as each states needs to train their workforce by themselves. In that sense we are indirectly in doing rural water supply project.

Over a total amount that JICA has been implementing is about N600 billion accumulated figure. Compared to the other donors JICA’s intervention is not big but small, but the money here or assistance is not necessarily or always stands on how much a country donated or how much the donor gave but the quality of the intervention. In that sense we have been very much proud of our own skills, technology and knowledge transfer. I still believe that JICA have have our own niche in this country and of course which are always needed by our Nigerian side.

Sector wise, I should say this country first needs power or electricity, that’s from the macro-economic point of view that is the most important but as at same time, capacity building. Power and capacity building are the main goal or targets for the time being for JICA in Nigeria.

What about your projects in Lagos?
Lagos railway project is designed to just reduce the super congested traffic situation in Victoria Island and that area is typically a commercial area and even now many roads are jam-packed by vehicles. Then compared to other railway projects that is said to be done by China from Lagos to Kano, the project is to expand from narrow gauge to standard gauge. The tracks are already there anyway and what they have to do is just to expand, and that is easy; but our project, we have space that is full of vehicles.  How do we start construction? That is one of the big challenges.

So in other to use those congested, already packed area, we need to use our own experience because Japan is also in general, has a small land area, however, we have some very good experience on how to construct those railway systems or mono-rail system on such congested roads, that is one of our strengths. The other one is train carriage itself. We have many train carriage systems from UK, France, Austria, Japan, China and Turkey but Japan also has its own development experience that created very effective and easy management system to operate trains. I think these are the two big things that Japan can do or Japan has to do for those congested areas, but for now, we are doing feasibility study.

How much are you putting to the feasibility study and the project as a whole?
Generally, we are estimating the total project costs at about $1 billion.

Is the Lagos State government or the Federal Government going to bring counterpart fund?
If the Lagos state government as well as Federal government finalise the request for Japanese concessionary loan, we are ready; but actually our direct counterpart is LAMATA. Track construction for the new transport system including train carriages, as well as management system. Regarding management, it is not yet finally in plan, but I think there might be some management organisation that has a combination of Nigerians with Japanese experts. Our project is not only grant aid or a loan project, but JICAMA or Japan’s projects uniqueness is that it always comes with technology transfer not just building schools, roads but also transfer the knowledge to maintain the projects.

What you are getting out of all these?
For us, JICA  is Japan’s bilateral implementing agency. So, from our missions, we want to see the economic or social development of Nigeria or Lagos area. From JICA’s point of view, we have always been willing to see that area definitely uplifted or the people’s lives becoming much better.

When you addressed a meeting during the JICA Day in March, you raised some issues and categorically said the international community is watching where the government is going. How do you feel now?
At the moment still I don’t see any clear direction because both political policies including macro and monetary policies, these are not fixed, I think it is still early to say this government is going this direction. But I see President Muhammadu Buhari is definitely doing his best to tackle Boko haram issues and corruption.

What is the future of JICA in Nigeria?
It depends on how this government will drive or in which direction this government drive, for example as I mentioned in the mid 80s we evacuated during the military regime but as long as this country keeps working in line with international order I don’t think we would vacate again. But the most important thing is security I think the Japanese government should protect Japanese nationals. If the security situation gets worse then even JICA will have to leave, but if the security situation remains settled, we will continue working, that is our hope.

What are some of the projects JICA is currently involved in Nigeria?
In Niger State, there is a $17.9 million grant for Emergency Repair and Overhaul Works for the Jebba Hydro Power Station and an emergency Repair of the Jebba Hydro Power Station from a loan of $87.6m. In Oyo an $11.5 million grant for the Construction of Classrooms for Primary Schools; Niger / Nassarawa / Abuja, there is a completed $5.5 million worth technical co-operation for Rice Post-Harvest Processing and Marketing Pilot Project.

In Abuja, there is the over $20 million grant for the introduction of Clean Energy by Solar Electricity Generation System at the Lower Usuma Dam and Emergency improvement of Electricity Supply Facilities in Abuja, as well as $10 million technical assistance for FCT Reduction of Non-revenue Water and Integrated Solid Waste Management System in FCT. These are apart from what we are doing in other sectors, Agriculture inclusive, in other parts of the country.