Opeifa’s appointment better deal for Nigerian railway, says TCAN

The appointment of Dr Kayode Opeifa as the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a positive development for nation’s railway sector.

Transportation Correspondent Association of Nigeria (TCAN) gave this position in a statement hailing the appointment.

Describing the appointment as a square peg in a square hole, TCAN said it would mark the beginning of better deals not only for the nation’s oldest public corporation but for the burgeoning railway sector.
In the statement signed by the Chairman, Adeyinka Aderibigbe, and General Secretary Fidelis Ugbomeh, TCAN said Opeifa, a one-time Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State, has all that it takes to sustain the good work of his predecessors in the corporation and continue to push the operation that would see all the nation’s state capitals connected by rail in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
TCAN said Opeifa played a pivotal role in transforming Lagos transportation sector, leading to a phenomenal transformation.
“His forward thinking initiatives in public sector transportation were instrumental in the sustenance of the Lagos State’s dynamics of the city’s mobility and traffic management, setting a model for other sister-states,” the statement stated.
TCAN said Opeifa is well prepared for the task ahead as the helmsman of the railway corporation, not only because he was a one-time Commissioner for Transportation under Governor Babatunde Fashola, under whose administration the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) took off, but was also appointed the Vice Chairman of the Lagos Ports Access Road Decongestion, spearheading initiatives that restored discipline on Apapa Ports access roads.

He is credited to have put an end to the decades long gridlock that made the nation’s busiest seaport a nightmare.
After the completion of that assignment. Opeifa, TCAN recalled, was also appointed a member of the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation by the former President Muhammadu Buhari after the completion of his term as the Transportation Secretary at the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA).
A former Chairman, Conference of Transportation Commissioners of Nigeria, Opeifa is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA), with a doctoral degree in Logistics and Transport Planning from the Lagos State University in 2022.

TCAN said his rich profile would help to ensure the delivery of new railway lines in line with the visions of the Tinubu administration, as he works at retooling the sustenance of the Nigeria’s Railway master plan, which runs its full course this year.
TCAN urged the new managing director to continue to partner with all critical stakeholders in order to achieve the mandate of Mr President in repositioning of the Nigerian railway and ensuring that Nigerians get a better deal in public sector transportation where the railway plays a major role.

Telecom operators announce new data prices after 50% tariff hike

Telecom operators in Nigeria have introduced revised data prices after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved a 50% tariff increase.

The NCC announced the tariff hike on Monday, enabling operators to adjust their pricing structures accordingly.

Leading providers such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile have released updated rates.

For MTN, the price for 25GB of data now stands at ₦9,750, up from the previous ₦6,500. Similarly, 10GB, 5GB, and 1GB now cost ₦5,250, ₦2,250, and ₦525, respectively, compared to their earlier prices of ₦3,500, ₦1,500, and ₦350.

Airtel’s 23GB data plan has risen to ₦9,000 from ₦6,000, while 10GB is now ₦4,500, an increase from ₦3,000.

9mobile has adjusted its 22GB data plan to ₦7,500, up from ₦5,000, while 9.5GB is now ₦3,750, previously ₦1,500.

READ ALSO:

• LASTMA arrests leader of Lagos ‘one-chance’ syndicate making N300,000 daily
• Salah hits new record with 50th European goal for Liverpool
• Barcelona in major comeback claim victory at Benfica

For Glo subscribers, the price for 24GB has increased to ₦7,500 from ₦5,000, while 10.8GB now costs ₦3,000, up from ₦2,500.

The tariff review has sparked reactions from users, as the increased rates reflect a significant rise in data costs nationwide.

The latest increase in data prices by telecom operators in Nigeria comes on the heels of the NCC’s approval of a 50% tariff hike, a decision that has sparked significant public and industry reactions.

This move is part of efforts by telecom operators to align their pricing structures with the rising costs of operations, which they attribute to inflation, increased fuel prices, foreign exchange fluctuations, and the rising cost of infrastructure maintenance.

While the NCC has justified the increase as necessary for the sustainability of the sector, it has raised concerns among Nigerians already grappling with the high cost of living.

This development underscores the ongoing challenges in balancing affordability for consumers with the viability of telecom operations in Nigeria’s complex economic environment.

Telecom operators announce new data prices after 50% tariff hike