The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has recorded a surge in the number of companies bidding for its 2025 contracts. So far, 803 firms have submitted applications for various contract bids compared to 524 firms that applied in 2024.
Speaking on the increase in the number of firms bidding for contracts, the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, explained that the increment is down to the confidence bidders have in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The NRC MD, who was represented by the Director, Medical Services, Albert Asowata, said: “The surge in the number of firms bidding is down to the confidence people have in the agenda of Mr. President.
“Our scope has been expanded. There are many programs the MD has launched. One such programme is the railing with the State. All the State governments are now keying into railways.
“Just three days ago, the Federal Government said that the Kano-Maradi rail line will be completed in 2026. That shows that there is renewed vigour and hope to expand the rail industry to move the country forward.
“Again, just yesterday, the NRC MD read the riot act to all those people who have blocked our rail line right-of-way to the jetty. The MD has set up a committee to review the presence of these people on the railway right-of-way to the jetty. The MD wants to ensure there is access to the jetty for goods to come in through the rail to other parts of the country.
“So, there are a lot of things going on in the railways, and people are hearing about them. So, that accounts for the increase in the number of firms applying for bids compared to last year,” he said.
Opeifa also assured the bidders that the bid opening ceremony would be conducted in an unbiased, transparent and efficient manner by a well-trained team.
“The critical areas that we are looking at for this fiscal year are on wash-out in civil works, bridges and culverts. This is because most of the tracks are already washed out by heavy rains. We are trying to ensure that all the wash-outs are taken care of,” the NRC boss added.
The bidding process had independent observers like the Civil Liberty Organisation, the Nigerian Network of NGOs, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Chartered Institute for Purchasing and Supply Management amongst others.
