By Folarin Kehinde, Abuja
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has unveiled plans to transition the nation’s rail network to full electric traction within the next five years, a milestone target under its Vision 2-5-10-20 development framework.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Seventh National Transport Conference of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA) in Abuja.
According to a statement by the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, Dr. Opeifa said the roadmap is central to the modernization of Nigeria’s rail system.
He explained that one of the key priorities is achieving full electric traction within five years — a shift expected to boost efficiency, reduce operating costs, and significantly lower the environmental footprint of rail transportation.
“The NRC plans to optimize national rail assets within the first two years, transition to electric traction by the fifth year, double national rail capacity within ten years, and achieve not less than 60,000 kilometers of rail network nationwide within 20 years,” Dr. Opeifa stated.
He noted that states along national rail corridors — including Lagos, Plateau, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, and Niger — can take advantage of existing rail infrastructure at no additional cost. This follows recent legislative amendments placing railway development on the concurrent legislative list, enabling states to participate more actively in rail expansion.
Dr. Opeifa also highlighted the ongoing expansion of freight-by-rail services, revealing that the NRC is currently transporting increased volumes of containerized cargo, gypsum, soda ash, cement, metal coils, and materials for the AKK Pipeline Project.
“This roadmap ensures that states can fully access and utilize national rail assets. Lagos and Plateau are already making full use of this policy, and we encourage other states to key into the initiative,” he added.
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