The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has emphasized the urgent need to deepen rail-port connectivity in order to enhance efficiency in Nigeria’s freight and logistics ecosystem.
According to a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of the Corporation-Mr Calliistus Unyimadu, Opeifa stated this at the Quarterly Stakeholders Engagement of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), where he delivered one of the two keynote addresses.
The NRC Boss reiterated that 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 while acknowledging the strong collaboration between the NRC and port authorities, also spoke on the significant progress made in recent years
especially; under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration.
However, he noted that more work needs to be done to fully optimize the movement of goods from the ports particularly within Lagos- Nigeria’s commercial nerve center and the eastern port corridor, to other parts of the country.
The MD highlighted the persistent challenges in the seamless movement of cargo between ports via rail, while
calling for deliberate efforts to improve operational efficiency in order to reduce bottlenecks in the sector.
He emphasized that optimizing 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, Opeifa disclosed that the Kaduna-Kano rail corridor will soon be completed.
Also, he revealed that the federal government has made conscious efforts 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 pathway to boosting the nation’s economy, and 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 freights imported through the ports to the final destinations by roads from the
freight yards.
He disclosed further that a rail development has been planned for the Lekki Deep Sea Port, which would pass through Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu to Kajola and from there; it would link the Lagos-Ibadan on the Western line.
According to him, this would most likely would take-off this year. He reiterated that all ports in Nigeria must be connected by rail to ensure seamless, efficient, and
standardized freight movement nationwide.
Furthermore, Dr. Opeifa emphasized the need to increase the number of freight yards across narrow and standard gauge rail lines to boost cargo handling capacity and improve overall logistics efficiency.
The NRC boss also revealed that the Federal Government has shown strong interest in the development of high-speed rail infrastructure through the private sector.
He announced that 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.
