Nigeria Railway Corporation 2015

On 11 July 2015 I visited the Nigeria Railway Corporation at Ebute Metta, close to Lagos, as a member of a tour party put on by Legacy Nigeria. It was an unforgettable experience.
For me the visit brought back memories the late Trinidad Government Railways and I found out there was good reason why.

Historic railway links, which many may not be acquainted with today, between the TGR (Trinidad Government Railway) and the NRC (Nigeria Railway Corporation) can be traced as far back as 1903 when both Trinidad and Nigeria were under British Colonial rule. The late Frances Jaekel, former GM of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, mentions “The first importation in 1903 of West Indian fitters, platelayers and Engine Drivers into Nigeria” in his book The History of the Nigerian Railways and one presumes these West Indians must have come from Jamaica, British Guiana and of course Trinidad all of which had railway systems long before Nigeria.
In 1908 an article entitled “Railway men gone to West Africa” appeared in the Port of Spain Gazette on 27 March. According to the article, five former employees of the TGR left aboard the S.S. Spheroid on Wednesday 25th March of that year for Lagos, Nigeria to take up positions on the Nigeria Railways which at the time was still officially called the Lagos Government Railways (LGR). The five former TGR employees were: R.A. Dick, H. Hackshaw, W.S. Carter (all fitters), V. Roberts (carpenter) and C.H. Grant (painter). These men left on the encouragement of a former General Manager of the TGR, Mr. W.E. Smith who moved to West Africa after Trinidad.
The migration of West Indians to Nigeria must have continued over an extended period of several years as there is further evidence of such moves by the discovery of another reference in 1911 in the form of the following Advertisement which appeared in the Port of Spain Gazette that year: “NOTICE – Nigerian Railways – Candidates for employment on the above Railway are informed that the vacant posts advertised have now been filled. F.H. WALLER, Port-of-Spain, 14th July 1911”
According to Mr. Jaekel’s book “West Indians were to be replaced by Nigerians in the traffic department from 1924 as agreements ran out” but I have seen references to Trinidadians working on the Nigerian railways well into the 1950s. And now I feel that my visit forms a very small continuance of that historic link as I reflect on what the arriving West Indians must have made of this vast place in West Africa compared to our small island.

Other colonial threads of association include the opening of the Locomotive maintenance shed at Ebute Metta, Lagos, in 1922 by Governor Sir Hugh Clifford who served as Colonial Secretary of Trinidad in 1903 (not to be confused with Sir Bede Edmund Hugh Clifford GCMG – Trinidad Governor between 1942 and 1947).

Jaekel House now serves as the Nigeria Railway Museum. Behind it there is a shed with three steam locomotives.

The railway museum, which used to be one of the Carriage and Wagon workshops at the extensive NRC railway compound at Ebute Metta Lagos, is a collection of three ex NRC “River Class” 2-8-2 steam locomotives. This is No. 207 “River Delimi” built at the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire England in 1954. The other two engines are No. 211 “River Karaduwa” and No. 217 “River Swashi” both also built in 1954 by the same manufacturer.

The video contains some historic perspectives, scenes of trains in Nigeria and some of the fun we had during the tour.

Finally I would like to thank Legacy Nigeria for an unforgettably delightful and very well organised tour.

I now share with you the experience of railways in Nigeria.

Glen Beadon 18 March 2017