State trains: Plateau, Niger, Osun, Borno set to join Lagos, FCT

State trains: Plateau, Niger, Osun, Borno set to join Lagos, FCT 

Plateau, Niger, Borno and Osun states are among state governments currently making arrangements to run train services within their respective areas.

They are joining Lagos State Government and the Federal Capital Territory already operating and managing mass transit train services for the people in those places.

This is coming after the railway development and operation was moved from the exclusive legislative list to concurrent allowing states and private sector to be involved in the business.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday during a public lecture.

Okhiria spoke as a guest lecturer at the endowed professorial chair on Transport and Logistics at the Lagos State University (LASU) on ‘From exclusive clause to concurrent list: Potency for sustainable rail infrastructure development in Nigeria and the Lagos State Example’.

He commended the Lagos State Government and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, two subnational governments for effectively initiating and running mass transit trains.

He said it was part of the fallout of moving the railway development from the exclusive list to current as signed into law in March 23, 2023 by the ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Already, he said the Plateau State Government had commenced a trial run of its stage-managed train service.

Okhiria said, “Lagos State is one of the states already operating a mass transit train in Nigeria. The Lagos Blue Line is a standard gauge track operating between Mile 2 and Marina…The service has greatly reduced the traffic jam usually experienced at Marina to Orile and Mike 2 axis, especially usually during peak hours.

“Lagos State is presently at an advanced stage of commenting the Red Line from Agbado to Oyingbo. We are currently inspecting and certifying various operating equipment along the corridor for safety concerns. When the service commences, it will greatly impact the way Lagosians travel.

“Other states are already keying in before now, using our track access tool to negotiate a train service within their corridor.

“Notable among them included Plateau State Government, already operating on trial runs, Niger State (talks ongoing), Borno State (talks ongoing), Osun State Government (hire service during festivities) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) currently restated, to mention a few.”

The NRC boss recalled that the prior to the constitutional amendments, was both a sole operator and regulator of rail activities in the country.

He cautioned states against dropping standards due to the high cost involved in building railway infrastructure, which he noted could affect safety.

Okhiria said the NRC would continue to offer necessary technical advice and other input to ensure adherence to uniform global standards in railway development and management.

He urged private investors to key into the project in the area of running trains, both passengers and freight.

Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello, represented by the VC Administration, Prof. Adenine Omotunde Boyo, said that the removal of railway from exclusive to concurrent list would empower the states to invest massively railway business and boost the intermodal transport system.

She commended the initiative of the Lagos State Government for completing and commencing daily commercial train service from Mile 2 to Marina.

Speaking on the professorial chair endowment in the transport studies at LASU, Prof. Dele Badejo said it was the first of its kind in transport development and sustainable development in sub-Sahara Africa.

He said, “This guest lecture is historic because it is the first time that the endowment has gathered and assembled stakeholders and intellectuals in the rail transport sub-sector to brainstorm and provide a road map for the repositioning and improving various activities and infrastructure on rail transportation.”