The federal government is set to unveil a new National Railway Development Roadmap to connect all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this in Abuja during the seventh National Transport Conference of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration.
Dr. Opeifa said the roadmap will enable states to access and utilize national rail corridors at no extra cost, following legislative changes that now allow states to participate in railway development.
He noted that Lagos and Plateau States have already begun taking advantage of the initiative, while others are encouraged to do the same. “We are saying where there is a national rail asset, states should make use of it,” he said.
According to him, Ogun and Oyo States have both narrow and standard gauge lines ready for use, while states like Edo, Delta, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, and Niger can connect to existing national corridors.
Dr. Opeifa also highlighted ongoing freight expansion projects and revealed that under the NRC’s long-term plan, called “Vision 2-5-10-20”, the Corporation aims to double national rail capacity within 10 years, transition to electric traction within five years, and expand the rail network to 60,000 kilometers within 20 years.
