NRC Begins Major Operational Reset with Review of 150 Standard Procedures

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has launched a comprehensive review of more than 150 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in a major push to improve safety, operational efficiency, accountability and service delivery across Nigeria’s railway network.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day Executive Standard Operating Procedure Review and Familiarisation Retreat in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Opeifa said the exercise would provide the Corporation with practical and enforceable operational guidelines capable of reducing risks, standardising procedures and driving excellence across all departments.

Represented by the Head of the Business Process Efficiency and Due Diligence (BuPED) Desk, Mr. Oyekunle Oyewole, the NRC boss stressed that the initiative was central to the Corporation’s transformation agenda.

According to a statement by the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, Opeifa described an SOP as more than a bureaucratic requirement.

“An SOP is not bureaucracy. It is a practical document that tells every member of staff—from the track to the boardroom—what to do, how to do it, and who is responsible,” he said.

He noted that well-designed SOPs would strengthen operational efficiency, enhance safety standards and align the Corporation’s operations with global best practices.

Opeifa urged directors and other participants to critically assess the existing procedures and produce documents that reflect the realities of a modern railway system.

“Review with the eye of a leader. Challenge existing gaps and own the solutions. Let us leave here with SOPs that are practical, enforceable and fit for the railway we are building today,” he charged.

The retreat, which commenced on Wednesday aboard the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service conference coach en route to Abeokuta, brought together directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, management staff and members of the BuPED team.

READ ALSO:

• Two Arrested for Smoking on Air Peace Flight from South Africa – Police
• “I Just Learned I Filed for Divorce” – Nnamdi Kanu’s Wife Breaks Silence
• NIS Releases Step-by-Step Guide for Contactless Passport Renewal Abroad

In his opening remarks, Oyekunle disclosed that over 150 SOPs were being reviewed to build a stronger, more efficient and better-coordinated organisation.

He added that increased collaboration among departments would improve teamwork and accelerate the Corporation’s transformation.

The Managing Director’s Technical Adviser on Train Operations, Mr. Adeife Akin Olukolade, described the SOP as a living document that must evolve with the changing demands of railway operations.

Drawing from more than two decades of railway experience across three continents, he expressed confidence that codifying the procedures would usher the NRC into a new era of operational excellence.

Also speaking, the Director of Operations, Mr. Akin Oshinowo, said the review would help reduce operational incidents, improve efficiency, ensure consistency in service delivery, strengthen compliance with established standards, guarantee value for money and promote a proactive work culture where employees perform their duties with minimal supervision.

He assured participants of management’s commitment to providing the necessary support for the successful implementation of the reviewed SOPs and embedding them into the Corporation’s operational culture.

The Director of Administration and Human Resources, Dr. Monsurat Omotayo, who presented the first technical paper on the role of capacity building in implementing SOPs, emphasised continuous staff training, effective leadership, a strong compliance culture and performance measurement as critical to successful implementation.

During the interactive session, participants underscored the importance of strict adherence to the SOPs by all categories of staff.

The Director of Civil Engineering and New Lines, Engr. Adekunle Ayeni, stressed that attitudinal change and effective consequence management would be key to successful implementation, advocating a balanced system of rewards for compliance and sanctions for violations.

The Managing Director’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communication, Mr. Adeyinka Aderibigbe, described the retreat as a milestone, expressing optimism that the final document would become a benchmark for railway operators and service providers across the industry.

Similarly, the Deputy Director of Finance, Alhaji Abdullah, said the exercise marked the first time the Corporation would have a comprehensive operational document developed through the collective input of key departments, making it practical, inclusive and implementable.

The review covered SOPs for the Corporate Planning, Medical, Finance, Legal, Internal Audit, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Procurement, Operations and Commercial, Civil Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Signal and Telecommunications (MEST), and Human Resources departments.

Closing the retreat, Dr. Omotayo thanked participants for their robust contributions and urged them to sustain the momentum as the Corporation moves to the implementation phase of the revised operational framework.

NRC Begins Major Operational Reset with Review of 150 Standard Procedures

Xenophobic Attacks: NANS Threatens Shutdown of MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic IBTC

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared a nationwide protest against South African interests, threatening to shut down the operations of MTN and MultiChoice while urging Nigerians to close their accounts with Stanbic IBTC Bank. According to the student leader, the planned action is in response to South Africa’s treatment of Nigeria and Nigerians. He said NANS is prepared to mobilise students across the country to ensure the protest is carried out. “We are going to shut down MTN and MultiChoice. We will force Nigerians to close their accounts with Stanbic IBTC Bank,” the NANS President declared. He maintained that the protest is aimed at putting pressure on South African-linked companies operating in Nigeria, calling on students and members of the public to support the action.

The declaration is the sharpest turn yet in a standoff that has been building for months over the recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. The attacks have reportedly claimed multiple lives, destroyed businesses, and left many Nigerians displaced. In May 2026, NANS South-West Zone D issued a similar warning, threatening to organise peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests, singling out MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. At the time, the zonal coordinator stated: “It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere”. NANS has framed the protest as a direct response to what it describes as South Africa’s failure to protect foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians. The student body expressed outrage over what it called a recurring pattern of hostility, with the latest incidents triggering a fresh wave of anger. In June 2026, NANS had already warned that Nigerian students were fully mobilised to shut down South African businesses operating on Nigerian soil if the killings did not stop. The association declared at an emergency press conference: “We are watching the countdown to the June 30 deadline, and we are sending a direct, loud message to Pretoria: nobody has the monopoly to violence”.

READ ALSO:

• Relief for Last-Mile Delivery Operators as TSS Motors launches Forland T5 light Trucks
• MURIC Demands Release of El-Rufai’s Personal Physician, Condemns ICPC Arrest
• How Thugs Killed Islamic Teacher in Bauchi Over Political Posters

The students are not acting in isolation. The National Assembly has itself been drawn into the dispute. In July 2026, the Senate called on President Bola Tinubu to sever diplomatic ties with South Africa over the recurring attacks. Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed at plenary that the operating licences of firms such as MTN and MultiChoice be revoked, and even suggested the nationalisation of MTN Nigeria, alongside a thirty-day boycott of its services, invoking the principle of reciprocity in international relations. Senator Abdul Ningi stressed that mere expressions of concern would not solve the problem: “Talking and lamenting will not help. Let us sever relations with South Africa. There must be action”. Senator Babangida Hussaini lamented that Nigerians are being vilified and killed not only in South Africa, stressing that Nigeria’s foreign policy should be strengthened to effectively address the situation. Other lawmakers, including Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno, also condemned the persistent attacks on Nigerians and the destruction of their businesses in South Africa, urging the Federal Government to take decisive action. However, the Senate ultimately rejected the proposal to nationalise South African companies, following an appeal by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who urged restraint pending a comprehensive investigation by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. Jibrin cautioned: “We lead in Africa. We set the pace. Whatever we need to do, we need to be very careful”.

What gives the threat its weight, and also its complications, is the sheer scale of South African investment in Nigeria. MTN Nigeria remains the MTN Group’s largest and most profitable market, closing 2025 with a subscriber base of approximately 87.26 million, roughly 28 per cent of the group’s global total, and generating some 3.45 billion dollars in revenue for the year. MultiChoice, operator of the DStv and GOtv platforms, has for years counted Nigeria as its biggest market outside South Africa, while Stanbic IBTC Holdings, tied to South Africa’s Standard Bank, is a significant player in the Nigerian financial services space. Together, these firms employ thousands of Nigerians and contribute meaningfully to tax revenue. That interdependence has drawn caution from economists who warn that a broad shutdown could rebound on the very citizens it aims to protect, through job losses, service disruptions and weakened investor confidence, while exposing Nigerian businesses in South Africa to retaliation. The pattern is not new either. South African firms became proxy targets during earlier bouts of xenophobic violence in 2008, 2015 and 2019, each time weathering licence revocation calls that diplomacy ultimately defused.

Earlier, NANS had issued a four-day ultimatum to South African business interests operating in Nigeria, demanding their immediate evacuation from the country. The directive, announced in a press statement by Comrade Bestman Okereafor, NANS National Executive Director for Corporate and Private Sector Engagement, followed what the student body described as the continued exploitation of Nigerian soil while South Africa perpetuates systemic oppression against Africans in their own country. “The attention of NANS has been drawn to the continuous attacks, intimidation, and forced expulsion of law-abiding, hardworking Nigerians and other Africans from South Africa,” the statement read. “As the largest student body in Africa, we are giving South African business interests four days to evacuate Nigeria. The reason is straightforward: South Africans cannot oppress our people in their country and expect their businesses to thrive here without consequence”. NANS underscored Nigeria’s historical role in supporting South Africa during the apartheid struggle, arguing that the current treatment of Africans in South Africa betrays the spirit of solidarity that once defined African unity. “It is on record that Nigeria played a pivotal role in the fight against apartheid. We cannot, and will not, tolerate disrespect, disloyalty, and global embarrassment from a nation that once stood with us”.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the affected companies—MTN Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria, and Stanbic IBTC Bank—have issued official statements responding to the latest threat from NANS. Further details on the planned nationwide protest and the exact timeline are expected as the situation develops.

Xenophobic Attacks: NANS Threatens Shutdown of MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic IBTC

Relief for Last-Mile Delivery Operators as TSS Motors launches Forland T5 light Trucks

Nigeria’s fast-growing logistics and distribution sector has received a major boost as Transit Support Services Ltd. (TSS Motors) unveiled the locally assembled Forland T5 light truck, a new range of mini trucks designed to slash the high operating costs that have long plagued last-mile delivery operators.

The company said the introduction of the Forland T5 series, assembled at its Enugu plant, is aimed at providing businesses with a durable, affordable and fuel-efficient solution for the most expensive stage of the supply chain—the final delivery to customers.

Although the last mile is typically the shortest leg of the distribution process, it remains the most complex and costly, accounting for a significant share of transportation and shipping expenses.

By leveraging local vehicle assembly, TSS said it is passing on substantial cost savings to logistics operators and businesses.

Speaking on the new product, TSS Senior Sales Executive, Miss Blessing Aluh, said the company developed the Forland T5 in response to the growing demand for practical and cost-effective delivery vehicles.

“Businesses have long been searching for a practical solution to the high cost of last-mile deliveries. With our Forland T5, that much-awaited solution has finally arrived in Nigeria.

READ ALSO:

• MURIC Demands Release of El-Rufai’s Personal Physician, Condemns ICPC Arrest
• How Thugs Killed Islamic Teacher in Bauchi Over Political Posters
• Soldiers Reject N100,000 Salary as Tinubu Holds Emergency Security Meeting

“TSS has come to the rescue with a truck specially adapted for last-mile delivery because of its low maintenance cost. It is guaranteed to reduce operating expenses and make deliveries more efficient,” she said.

According to Aluh, the T5 is built by Forland, the specialised light truck division of Foton, and manufactured to high international quality standards.

The truck is powered by an 82-kilowatt DAM 15R petrol engine noted for its fuel efficiency and low emissions.

It is offered in both box-body and cabin-and-chassis configurations, giving businesses the flexibility to choose a model that best suits their operations.

Aluh explained that the cabin-and-chassis version would enable customers to fit a wide range of specialised bodies, including flatbeds, enclosed box bodies, drop-side bodies, refrigerated vans, mobile clinics and mobile vending units for food, snacks and beverages.

The air-conditioned cabin comfortably seats the driver and a salesperson, while the vehicle comes with a manual transmission and hydraulic braking system.

To meet varying operational needs, TSS is offering the Forland T5 in 1.5-tonne and 2-tonne payload variants, alongside a 2.5-tonne dual-fuel CNG/petrol version.

Like other Forland vehicles marketed by the company, the T5 is backed by nationwide after-sales support, including a one-year or 100,000-kilometre warranty.

TSS said local assembly has also made the vehicle more affordable, with the flatbed version priced at less than ₦16 million.

Aluh noted that customers have the option of buying the flatbed model and building a customised body elsewhere or purchasing a factory-fitted box-body version directly from the company.

“What this means is that you can build your box body elsewhere or customise it the way you need it. But we also supply box bodies,” she said.

She added that TSS can also facilitate bank financing for qualified buyers, enabling customers to spread payment for the vehicles over an agreed period.

Relief for Last-Mile Delivery Operators as TSS Motors launches Forland T5 light Trucks