OPINION
Building Smarter: How Rail Can Secure Ogun’s Industrial Future
By: Bayo Orebiyi
The story of Ogun State is, in many ways, the story of Nigeria’s industrial backbone. From Sagamu to Ibeshe, Papalanto to Ewekoro, and now Itori, Ogun has quietly become the cement capital of West Africa. Dangote Cement, with its 12 million metric tons per annum facility in Ibeshe and another 6 million metric-ton plant rising in Itori, dominates the landscape. Lafarge, with plants in Ewekoro and Sagamu, contributes an additional 4.5 million tons each year. Together, these giants account for over 20 million tons of cement—enough to build Nigeria’s cities and even feed export markets.
This industrial boom is commendable, but it comes with a steep cost: the relentless pounding of Ogun’s roads by thousands of heavy-duty trucks. Anyone who has driven the Ilaro–Owode road, the Sagamu axis, or the 70-kilometer Abeokuta–Ifo–Ota–Lagos expressway knows the story too well. Despite the commendable efforts of Prince Dapo Abiodun’s administration in reconstructing key highways, many roads barely survive under the weight of cement trucks before they begin to crumble again. The newly reconstructed Ilaro–Owode road is already showing distress.
The impact is not just financial but human. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians face daily risks from long convoys of overloaded trucks. Accidents involving Dangote and Lafarge trucks, though sometimes inevitable, have become far too frequent. Lives are lost, businesses disrupted, and infrastructure prematurely destroyed.
Yet, I must be clear: this is not a call to vilify Dangote or Lafarge. On the contrary, I applaud their vision and investments. Aliko Dangote has built Africa’s largest industrial empire, creating thousands of jobs, and Lafarge has contributed decades of expertise to Nigeria’s growth. But with great industrial capacity comes an equally great responsibility to host communities.
Railways as Ogun’s Relief Valve
When I saw Alhaji Aliko Dangote on TVC News proudly announcing that the new Itori plant would focus solely on exports, I could not help but think of the cumulative impact on Ogun’s already overburdened roads. More plants mean more trucks, and more trucks mean more road carnage. But there is another way forward: The Railway.
On August 17, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), revealed that cement had successfully been transported from Papalanto in Ogun to Moniya in Ibadan. This achievement, part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, demonstrates that rail freight is not just possible but practical. It builds on the revival of the Lagos–Ibadan standard-gauge line, initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Imagine if this model were expanded. Instead of 4,000 trucks pounding Ogun’s highways each day, cement could move efficiently by rail to distribution hubs across Nigeria. Not only would this save billions in road maintenance, but it would also save lives, cut emissions, and ensure smoother logistics for manufacturers.
A Partnership Model for Industry and NRC
The solution is not to build more roads—roads cannot outpace the wear and tear of cement trucks. Rather, Dangote and Lafarge should work with the NRC to create dedicated rail spurs from their plants directly into the national network. From these spurs, regional depots could be established in Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and beyond, each fed by rail, not trucks.
This approach is not unprecedented. In South Africa, Transnet partners with mining companies to move bulk commodities by rail. In Europe, freight corridors serve entire industrial clusters. Nigeria can and must replicate these models if it wants Ogun to remain competitive without collapsing under its own weight.
Government as Enabler
The Ogun State government has shown admirable foresight in infrastructure development. From the Gateway International Airport, now completed and recently approved for commercial flights, to the revival of the Olokola Deep Sea Port plan in Ogun Waterside, the Abiodun administration is clearly focused on building an interconnected transport ecosystem. The APC-led governments in Abuja and Abeokuta have laid a foundation for multi-modal transportation, and this must now be leveraged.
The state government, working with the federal authorities, should create incentives for industries that adopt rail freight as their primary mode of transport. Just as manufacturers receive tax relief for new investments, companies that shift tonnage from road to rail could benefit from logistics tax credits or regulatory support.
Beyond Cement: A Broader Vision
While cement dominates Ogun’s industrial map, it is not the only player. The state also hosts agro-processing companies, consumer goods factories in Agbara, and emerging tech clusters. These industries also depend heavily on trucks for distribution. If rail corridors are extended, they too can benefit. Ogun could evolve into Nigeria’s logistics hub, where goods move seamlessly by rail, road, sea, and air. The Gateway Airport will handle passengers and light cargo; Olokola will manage maritime trade; rail will bear the bulk of heavy freight.
This vision is within reach—but only if we make deliberate choices now.
Safety and Responsibility
Even as we build infrastructure, there are immediate steps industry leaders must take. Random alcohol and drug testing for truck drivers, stricter safety protocols, and investment in driver training should be standard. These are not penalties but safeguards—for companies, communities, and consumers alike.
Ultimately, the call here is not adversarial but collaborative. Ogun State cannot shoulder the burden of industrial growth alone. The cement industry cannot prioritize profit without considering sustainability. The federal government cannot build rail lines without ensuring industries use them.
The Road Ahead
The question is not whether Ogun can handle more cement plants, more exports, or more trucks. The question is whether we will allow growth to destroy the very infrastructure meant to sustain it.
If we choose the railway, we choose sustainability, safety, and shared prosperity. If we choose business-as-usual trucking, we condemn our roads, our people, and our future to unnecessary hardship.
The foundations have been laid—by the Buhari administration’s railway revival, by Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, and by Abiodun’s forward-looking infrastructure projects. What remains is for industry to match policy with responsibility.
If Ogun State gets this right, it will not only protect its roads but also set a national example: that industrial growth and sustainable infrastructure can, indeed, travel the same track.
‘Bayo Orebiyi is a Public Administration Expert and writes from Yewa-South Local Government, Ogun State.
