NRC: Okhiria bows out as MD, Iloanusi appointed acting managing director 

The Federal Government has named Mr Ben Iloanusi as acting managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

This follows the exit of Engr Fidet Okhiria, who led the corporation for eight years.

Okhiria completed his second term of four years as NRC MD last Friday and retired the same day, having joined the corporation in 1987 as a pupil engineer, rising through the ranks to the top.

He handed over to the new helmsman on Friday, according to a statement obtained on Sunday from the spokesman for the corporation, Mr Yakub Mahmood, a deputy director.

Part of the statement read, “The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Engr F.E Okhiria handed over duties and responsibilities after completing his 2nd four-year term of the office successfully last Friday to the most senior director of the corporation, Mr Ben Iloanusi.

“The outgoing MD during the handing over ceremony commended the management and staff of the corporation for the cooperation and understanding extended to him during his tenure, which according to the former NRC boss was the bedrock of his success in running the affairs of the corporation.

“Engineer Okhiria enjoined the management and staff of the corporation to extend same cooperation and understanding to the incoming acting MD.”

The statement added that Iloanusi until his new appointment was the director of procurement for the corporation.

“He is a graduate of Political science from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and (holds) MBA in International Management from the South Bank university London.

“Mr Iloanusi joined the Nigerian Railway Corporation in 2011 as the Deputy Director, Procurement before rising to the post of the Director of Procurement in 2019.”

The acting MD in his acceptance during the handing over event last Friday solicited the cooperation of the staff and management of the NRC to be extended to him more than that of his predecessor.

He welcomed constructive advice and criticisms that could move the corporation forward during his tenure.

The ceremony was described as highly emotional where testimonies were made acknowledging the vast experience, patience, compassion and fatherly role of the former MD.

How we got Chinese to build first W’African wagon assembly plant in Nigeria – Amaechi

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says the construction of West Africa’s first wagon assembly plant  in Nigeria inaugurated at Kajola, Ogun State in 2023, was not part of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project but was ‘smuggled’ in for the benefit of Nigerians.

He however lamented that the construction of the assembly plant had been abandoned.

He disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday as the keynote speaker at the Nigeria Transport Summit organised by the Transportation Correspondents Association of Nigeria (TCAN) with the theme: ‘Internodal Transport: Prospects and Challenges’.

The two-time governor of Rivers State said the plant was conceived to ensure Nigeria produces wagons and other rolling stocks needed for railway development in the country.
He said, “There are so many things we had in the rail project that most other countries didn’t have.

“If you get to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Train Station in Kajola, there is a wagon rolling stock there. We launched that facility in 2023.
“The Kajola Locomotive and Wagon Rolling Stock was not part of the Lagos-Ibadan Rail project, but we insisted that the Chinese must build the facilitiy to enable us gain knowledge transfer in the area of wagon and rolling stock manufacturing.
“I told the Chinese contractors that I was going to give them a contract to supply Nigeria 200 rolling stock. I however told them that I won’t approve the contract if they don’t build a Wagon Assembly Plant in Nigeria.
“That after five years, they will start assembling and manufacturing Wagons and Rolling Stocks in Nigeria. The agreement was signed.
“The reason for doing this was to create employment and reduce foreign exchange expenditure because we will produce them here. Don’t forget that this was not part of the railway contract.
“I told the Chinese company that instead of giving me money, they should build a Transportation University, and they did.”
He said that the Kajola Locomotive and Wagon Assembly Plant was also one of the demands he made from the Chinese company, and it was also built.
Amaechi said, “I was in South Africa, and saw that they were producing locomotives. I asked them how they did it, and they said they awarded locomotive contract to the Chinese and asked them to build a plant for them so they will know how they did it.
“So, because I wanted Nigeria to also benefit the same way South Africa benefitted, I demanded that the Chinese build a wagon and rolling stock depot in Nigeria.
“This was done and was commissioned in 2023, but as I speak today, that facility has been abandoned. Nothing is happening there.
“Until we continue to invest in transportation, we might never get it right in this country.”

Historic as NRC grants operational licences to Lagos Blue, Red lines

A historic moment was recorded in the country on Friday as the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) granted the Lagos State Government operational licences to run its two completed mass transit rail lines, the Blue and Red lines.

Managing Director of the NRC Engr. Fidet Okhiria, said it was the first time since the Nigerian railway came into being in 1912 that another entity would operate train services in the country.

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said in a statement via its official X (formerly Twitter) account that the NRC granted a three-year operational licence to the Blue Line and a six-month temporary licence to the Red Line.

The licences were officially handed over by the NRC MD, Okhiria, to Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of LAMATA, on behalf of the Lagos State Government.

LAMATA stated, “A significant milestone in Nigerian railway transportation has been recorded by the Lagos State Government as the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) issued operational licences for Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue and Red Lines.”

It added, “The NRC granted a three-year operational licence for the Blue Line and a temporary six-month licence for the Red Line.“

The statement noted that the licences were issued following nearly three years of assessment of the Blue Line’s infrastructure and operations, along with testing the pre-operational capacity of the Red Line.

This is coming days before passenger operations will commence on the state’s 27km first phase, from Oyingbo to Agbado, on October 15, with permanent approval pending further assessments.

Okhiria commended LAMATA’s efforts in making the mass rail transit projects a reality.

He expressed confidence in the company’s ability to drive the project to success.