With a longer-term goal of 20,000 kilometres within the next 20 years, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has unveiled an ambitious plan to increase the country’s rail network from roughly 4000 kilometres to 10,000 kilometres within the next five years. The Nigerian Railway Corporation has unveiled an ambitious plan to expand the national rail network from about 4000 kilometres to 10,000 kilometres within the next five years, with a longer-term target of 20,000 kilometres in the next 20 years.
Dr Kayode Opeifa, the corporation’s managing director, revealed this in an interview when he described the rail industry’s strategic direction and the amount of investment needed to reposition it as a significant engine of national growth.
According to Opeifa, Nigeria currently runs roughly 4,000 kilometres of rail lines, which he said is insufficient for a nation of its size and economic aspirations.
We intend to extend the tracks to roughly 10,000 kilometres over the course of the next five years. “We want to get Nigeria to about 20,000 kilometres of rail lines by another ten years after that,” he stated.
He emphasised that the private sector’s involvement would be crucial to reaching the expansion goal, pointing out that the amount of infrastructure investment needed could not be supported by government funding alone.
He added that sovereign guarantees would be given to investors in accordance with international best practices and that the federal government was still open to concessioning agreements and other partnership models.
“We welcome partnerships and concessions from the private sector. Opeifa stated, “We are encouraging private investment because government budgets alone cannot fund rail expansion at this scale.”
According to him, the expansion plan was a component of a broader national rail roadmap that would soon be released to increase productivity and fortify connectivity across economic corridors.
In order to facilitate the smooth flow of people and goods between the South and the North, Opeifa stated that the company was working to complete important rail corridors, such as the Lagos-Kano line, the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri route, and the Ajaokuta-Abuja connection.
In order to increase efficiency and capacity utilisation, he continued, the company was aggressively recovering locomotives, wagons, and other rolling stock. Both narrow-gauge and standard-gauge rail lines were in operation.
Opeifa stated that rail services persisted nationwide despite security issues, crediting the dedication of railway engineers and craftspeople who maintained network operations.
In response to vandalism, he urged community ownership of railway assets, especially along the Warri-Itakpe corridor, where he claimed the corporation had been forced to replace nearly all of the track due to repeated attacks.
The head of NRC added that in order to maximise current resources and boost rail usage, the company was working with a number of state governments, including Lagos, Zamfara, Plateau, Niger, and Ogun.
According to Opeifa, there were already about 28 logistics firms licensed to transport cargo from Apapa Port to places like Oyingbo, Papalanto, Kajola, Omi Adio, Moniya, and Osogbo.
“We will grant you access to our tracks if you have the means to bring in locomotives and rolling stock because once the tracks are in use, the economy benefits,” he stated.
He said that a year ago, the railway was in critical condition and that worker cooperation had helped bring stability and investor confidence back.
He claimed that increased licence uptake in recent weeks and growing investor interest indicated a resurgence of confidence in Nigeria’s rail future.
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