FG set to roll out nationwide railway connectivity plan — Opeifa

FG set to roll out nationwide railway connectivity plan — Opeifa

The Federal Government is set to unveil a comprehensive National Railway Development Road Map aimed at linking all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by rail, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, announced this on Wednesday at the 7th National Transport Conference of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA), held at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

According to Dr. Opeifa, the road map provides a framework for seamless rail connectivity and access across the country, following legislative amendments that placed railway development on the concurrent legislative list.

“We are saying where there is a national rail asset, states should make use of it. The line is available from Lagos to Kano. If your state is along this corridor, you can run services on the line. Lagos and Plateau are already doing this, and we are open to working with others,” he said.

He disclosed that Lagos and Plateau states are already leveraging this new policy, while other states such as Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano and Niger can also connect to existing national corridors to drive local economic development.

Opeifa further noted that the NRC had ramped up its freight-by-rail operations, transporting increased volumes of containerized cargo, gypsum, soda ash, cement, metal coils, and materials for the ongoing Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project.

Outlining the Corporation’s long-term vision, tagged “Vision 2-5-10-20”, he said the NRC plans to optimize national rail assets within two years; transition to electric traction by the fifth year; double the country’s rail capacity within ten years; and achieve not less than 60,000 kilometers of interconnected rail network nationwide within 20 years.

Opeifa affirmed that the new road map would “transform Nigeria’s transportation landscape, stimulate commerce, and open new frontiers of development across all regions.”