By Our Correspondent
Lagos, March 13, ’25 (TNZ) The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says the Federal Government’s huge investment in rail transportation is yielding results.
Dr Kayode Opeifa, the managing director of NRC, announced this in a statement emailed to TheNewsZenith on Thursday in Lagos.
According to the statement, Opeifa noted that the massive investments are improving service delivery and operational efficiency.
He made the remarks while receiving a team of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA) board, who visited him.
Dr Olusegun Obayendo, the National President of the CIOTA led the team on the visit to NRC.
Opeifa assured that more development in the rail sector would cut across the six geo-political zones of the country.
“We now have in the NRC, a group of professionals who are the heroes of railway mobility.
“These people have kept the nation’s railway going. This is because the Chinese government and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) have encouraged technology transfer.
“This (technology transfer) has helped in building human capacity in line with the intentions of the Federal Government’s investments,” TheNewsZenith quotes Opeifa as saying.
He assured that NRC would build on the engineers’ competencies to improve the capacity and efficiency of the railway.
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According to him, the corporation would maximise its potential within the limit of available funds.
“The sector is blessed with young engineers, who can remodel and retrofit any coach and locomotive engines.
“Our engineers can build train tracks given the support they have gained from the CCECC and the Chinese government,” Opeifa said.
He said the corporation would fulfil its traditional mandate, not only as a rail transport management company, but also a logistics firm.
“The legacy narrow gauge tracks are already moving into the ports.
“In partnership with a terminal operator, the corporation is moving 70 units of 40-foot containers thrice a week, from the Apapa Port to the Inland Dry Port in Ibadan, Oyo State.”
Soonest, the NRC boss hinted that the corporation “will achieve seamless cargo movement beyond Ibadan from Lagos, as movement to Ilorin, Mokwa and Minna will soon begin”.
Earlier, the CIOTA President, Obayendo commended President Bola Tinubu for his foresight in picking Opeifa for the job.
He described Opeifa as a round peg in a round hole. He added that as a Fellow of the Institute, the managing director possessed the right pedigree to make the best of the assignment. (TNZ)
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