[A-List] UK imperialism: Nigeria

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Despite the obvious comedy value of this item, there is an underlying
seriousness regarding these developments...


Nigeria's big idea for the trains: call in Virgin

Rory Carroll in Johannesburg
Tuesday December 3, 2002
The Guardian

It is riven by corruption and organised crime, and cannot host a beauty
contest without religious riots but Nigeria has a masterplan to make the
trains run on time: Virgin Rail.

Apparently deaf to the lamentations of stranded British commuters, President
Olusegun Obasanjo has invited Sir Richard Branson to help run the
state-owned Nigerian Railways Corporation.

So successfully had Virgin transformed British Rail, the president
suggested, that it would be splendid if the company could repeat its magic
in Africa's most populous country.

"I told Branson to come to Nigeria and see how he can help the Nigerian
railway and he said 'Let me finish what I am doing in the British railway
and see what we can do for Nigeria,' " Mr Obasanjo told reporters in the
financial capital, Lagos.

A Virgin spokesman said yesterday that Sir Richard had not spoken directly
to Mr Obasanjo about the offer and that no formal invitation had been made
by the government. He added that the president appeared to have quoted Sir
Richard accurately and the company was considering the invitation.

For many British commuters Virgin has been the butt of bitter jokes about
late trains, overcrowded trains and no trains but Nigeria hopes to profit
from its experience of upgrading a creaking state behemoth.

Nigerian railways are in even worse shape than Britain's. The century-old
corporation's debts are so huge it cannot afford to pay all its 15,000
employees and 25,000 pensioners.

Despite political instability, Sir Richard believes there is money to be
made in the former British colony. Virgin Atlantic last week launched its
fourth African route, to Port Harcourt in Nigeria.