₦airaland Forum

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has constituted a committee to speed up port connectivity to railway systems nationwide, in a push to develop rail infrastructure through the private sector.

Speaking at the Quarterly Stakeholders Engagement of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), Opeifa emphasised the urgent need to deepen rail-port connectivity to enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s freight and logistics ecosystem, according to a statement by Chief Public Relations Officer, NRC, Callistus Unyimadu.

According to him, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has constituted a committee to drive the effective delivery of the initiative.

The engagement provided a vital platform for stakeholders across the maritime and rail sectors to align strategies, strengthen partnerships, and collectively chart a path toward a more integrated and efficient transport system in Nigeria.

The NRC Boss said the maritime sector reforms and the deep-sea ports without an efficient rail linkage would continue to yield marginal returns.

Addressing industry stakeholders, Dr. Opeifa acknowledged the strong collaboration between the NRC and port authorities, saying that significant progress has been made in recent years, especially under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

He stressed that more work needed to be done to fully optimise the movement of goods from the ports, particularly within Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, and the eastern port corridor to other parts of the country.

The MD highlighted persistent challenges in the seamless movement of cargo between ports via rail, calling for deliberate efforts to improve operational efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.

He emphasised that optimising port operations through a revolution of freight by rail is critical to achieving a more reliable and cost-effective freight system.

Dr. Opeifa also spoke on the strategic importance of interconnectivity among Eastern region ports, revealing the Corporation’s plans to introduce new rail lines that will further enhance port operations and regional trade integration.

Providing updates on key infrastructure projects, he disclosed that the Kaduna-Kano rail corridor will soon be completed.

In addition, he emphasised the federal government’s effort to link currently operating rail lines to the port, a move aimed at significantly improving cargo evacuation and reducing cargo congestion within the port corridors.

“The Federal Government has approved many plans, including the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line extension from the Apapa Port to the Tincan Island port, while on the central line, the Warri-Itakpe would connect the Warri Port.

“On the Eastern flank, similar thing would happen on the Narrow Gauge as the line is expected to be connected to the Port-Harcourt Port at Onne, just as approval has been given to connect the Lagos-Kano on the Western flank to the Baro Port on the narrow gauge, he said.”

Dr. Opeifa said connecting all the ports by rail remains one of the sure pathways to boosting the nation’s economy.

He urged other stakeholders, particularly truckers and others, not to sabotage the strategic drive of rail linkages, as they too have a role to play in taking the raw materials from the farmlands to the ports, and in taking the freight imported through the ports to the final destinations by roads from the freight yards.

He disclosed that a rail development being planned for the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which would pass through Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu to Kajola, from where it would join the Lagos-Ibadan on the Western line, which most likely would take off this year.

He reiterated that all ports in Nigeria must be connected by rail to ensure seamless, efficient, and standardised freight movement nationwide.

Furthermore, Dr. Opeifa emphasised the need to increase the number of freight yards across both narrow gauge and standard gauge rail lines to boost cargo handling capacity and improve overall logistics efficiency.

He urged other stakeholders, particularly truckers and others, not to sabotage the strategic drive of rail linkages,

as they too have a role to play in taking the raw materials from the farmlands to the ports, and in taking the freight imported through the ports to the final destinations by roads from the freight yards.

Parachoko:
If OBJ did all the things Asiwaju is doing now, and other past presidents continue from where he stop, Nigeria would have been competing with South Africa, Algeria, Morocco etc in terms of development

Parachoko:
If OBJ did all the things Asiwaju is doing now, and other past presidents continue from where he stop, Nigeria would have been competing with South Africa, Algeria, Morocco etc in terms of development

ppogba:
We should have gone past this as a nation for goodness sake.

Gotocourt:
If OBJ was borrowing foolishly, Emilokan won't have been President 😕

ibedun:
But we haven't, so what is your point? That we standstill in this bad position? How do you people reason?

temmyyem:
What's more important than stopping the killing of our people?

Gotocourt:
If OBJ was borrowing foolishly, Emilokan won't have been President 😕

saintopus:
After they set up the committee, they will then set another supervising committee to supervise 2 other subcommittee.
Clowns all over the place

Gotocourt:
If OBJ was borrowing foolishly, Emilokan won't have been President 😕

Pakute:
https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/11/fg-constitutes-committee-to-accelerate-port-railway-connectivity-nationwide/

ibedun:
But we haven't, so what is your point? That we standstill in this bad position? How do you people reason?

Putindbutt:
Jagaban infrastructural revolution.




This is very important, those trucks drivers could connive with the iron scavengers to sabotage the railway tracks or carry out attacks against passangers just because their services will no longer be required as much.

Pakute:
https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/11/fg-constitutes-committee-to-accelerate-port-railway-connectivity-nationwide/

Parachoko:
If OBJ did all the things Asiwaju is doing now, and other past presidents continue from where he stop, Nigeria would have been competing with South Africa, Algeria, Morocco etc in terms of development

Gotocourt:
If OBJ was borrowing foolishly, Emilokan won't have been President 😕