The Federal Government is preparing to introduce an extensive railway expansion project that will see new train lines connecting cities across Nigeria, according to the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa.
During a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Dr. Opeifa shared details of the ambitious plan. He said that more cities will be linked by rail than ever before, and the federal government is working closely with state governments to make this happen.
“States are even receiving grants from the national government to develop their rail lines, and Lagos State is utilising track access on the Red Line,” he said.
Dr. Opeifa also noted that Kaduna State is close to being added to the growing network, while Niger State is helping with the development of the narrow gauge tracks. However, recent flooding in Mokwa has caused temporary setbacks. He mentioned that there were plans to operate rail services during a recent festival to cities like Minna, Ilorin, and Offa, but the flood disrupted that effort.
In addition, he pointed out that Ogun State is already benefitting from its rail link. He also mentioned new developments in Plateau State, especially around the Jos-Bukuru route.
According to Dr. Opeifa, one major step that made all this possible was the decision to move railway matters from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list. This allows both federal and state governments to be involved in rail development.
“That is because this government supported the removal of rail from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. So, state governments can now not only develop rail on their own, but they are also being supported by grants,” he explained.
He noted that the current national budget includes a 400 billion naira provision to support state-led railway projects. Some states have already started receiving the funds and are making progress on their projects.
“What this government is doing is ensuring that the burden is no longer solely on the national government. However, the national government still owes a duty to every Nigerian to connect the cities,” he said.
