The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has expressed willingness to collaborate with the Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) on a Memorandum of Understanding to operationalise previously unserviced railway routes and enhance regional rail connectivity.
The Managing Director of NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, made the statement while hosting the SWDC’s top management, led by the Commission’s Managing Director, Mr Charles Diji Akinola, in Lagos on Wednesday. Dr Opeifa said the corporation is open to partnerships and welcomed SWDC’s entry into the rail sector.
“We are delighted to see the SWDC take off from where the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission stopped, in the area of developing a master plan for regional rail development for states in the southwest,” he said.
In a statement signed by the Chief Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Callistus Unyimadu, the SWDC Managing Director, Charles Diji Akinola, had earlier said the Commission was fired by the extensive work of DAWN in the area of infrastructure and rail transportation development in the six states of the southwest, adding that regional rail connectivity is key to the economic revitalisation of the southwest.
While noting that the commission’s rail infrastructure development is divided into short, medium and long term, Akinola said that in the short term, SWDC seeks to have some old unserviced routes in the southwest ceded to it to operate on a profit-sharing basis.
In particular, Akinola said the commission is interested in reactivating the Osogbo-Dagbolu-Erunmu route, while the Idogo route would also be key in ensuring food security.
Noting that three of the Southwest states, Lagos, Oyo and Osun, are serviced by rail, the Commission’s boss said the commission would want to explore maximising the rails in bringing foodstuffs to Lagos, and in return taking consumer goods from Lagos to the southwest states.
Akinola said SWDC is convinced that these routes would spur economic development in the southwest states, as they will come under some form of subsidy consideration for the people.
“We want to take up the Idogo route. This route is noted for taking farm produce from our farmers to markets in Lagos, where these foodstuffs are in high demand. We want to incentivise agricultural produce and the Idogo line would play a major role in that,” he said.
On the medium term, Akinola said the commission would request operational and track access licences for new routes. “We are looking at encouraging some investors to come into the rail sector and run the rail lines in the region.
This agenda has been advanced by the DAWN Commission in the past. We are willing to build new spurs to connect all the states in the southwest to the national lines by rail, thereby making the dry port at Omi Adio and in Moniya more active.”
He equally demanded land approvals to encourage the construction of warehouses crucial for the private sector players in developing the commercial side of the rail, adding that this has been tried in Osun with the establishment of a siding at Dagbolu.
He underscored the need for the setting up of a technical team with the corporation to jump-start the dreams of the commission.
Akinola assured that the commission had the full backing of all the southwest states’ governors. He added that if implemented, the rail revival would boost the southwest’s economy.
Responding, Dr Opeifa said the corporation is determined to work with all federal government agencies and sub-nationals to deepen railway penetration in line with the Presidential mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Noting that the rail is the biggest contributor to economic development and national integration, Dr. Opeifa added that similar development commissions like the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) have approached the corporation to seek areas of mutual cooperation and partnership, especially in reactivating the Eastern routes.
The NRC boss said similar strong efforts are also coming from the Niger State government for the reactivation of the Northern flank of the Lagos-Kano western line that the SWDC has shown interest in, for the movement of agricultural produce to bridge the markets in Lagos and the North.
“What you are asking for is possible and will happen. We have also received your request for an operating track access licences. Our people are already looking at it and I have mandated all our directors to work with your technical team in bringing up the right MOU that would berth all your requests.
“With moving the enabling law from the exclusive to the concurrent list, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation no longer have monopoly of the railway system in Nigeria. All development commissions, state governments, and private sector players are free to play in the sector,” Opeifa added.
He said the NRC has the Track Access Programme, which has empowered all the state governments to partner with the corporation to make use of all national rail corridors at no extra cost under the NRC Optimising What We Have and the Railing With the States Initiatives.
“Under the Railing With the States initiative, we would be delighted to rail with all the six southwest states under the SWDC,” Opeifa added.
The joint team later visited the Lagos Iddo Terminal, which is currently undergoing renovation, and the Mobolaji Johnson Station at Ebute Metta.
