Connect with us

Headlines

NRC unleashes rail reforms that will berth CNG- powered trains in Nigeria 

Funso OLOJO 
In a few years to come, trains will be run on Compressed Natural Gas(CGN) that will replace the diesel – powered train engines in the country.
This revolution, which is part of the silent reforms in train services initiated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation( NRC) under the dynamic leadership of Dr Kayode Opeifa, is a fall out of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between the Corporation and the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (PI-CNG).
The conversion of diesel- powered engines to CGN – powered train engines, is meant to cost costs and engender efficiency in rail services in Nigeria.
Making this disclosure during an interview with a National Television on Monday, June 2nd, 2025, Dr Kayode Opeifa, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), noted that the partnership will help reduce diesel dependence and operational costs.
He noted that diesel remains the major cost burden for the NRC, used for engines, stations, and other facilities.
The collaboration, according to him,will involve converting diesel engines to CNG-compatible engines, and training young Nigerians through the NRC’s training school in various technologies, including CNG conversion.
Opeifa said this will lead to nationwide deployment of CNG stations and facilities, as well as CNG-powered trains.
He further noted that the ongoing reforms in the railway system are yielding positive results, with more Nigerians now taking advantage of rail services across various states.
Opeifa believed that the rail system is being revitalized to serve the economic and social integration needs of the country.
He recounted the challenges the NRC has faced, including recurring washouts due to weather conditions and vandalism, but maintained that the rail sector is being repositioned to play a major role in reducing transport costs and improving national logistics.
He revealed that the NRC had earlier been operating between areas such as Apapa, Moniya, and Ilorin, and had plans to extend to places like Minna and Kaduna.
However, these plans were affected by the washouts and other disruptions.
“Despite this, states such as Plateau and others such as Lagos, which has introduced the Red Line, are already benefitting from the track access programme, which allows idle tracks to be optimized for logistics use.
Dr. Opeifa disclosed that cargo is now being moved efficiently from Lagos to other parts of the country, with private logistics companies showing increasing interest.
He cited the example of the AKK gas pipeline project, noting that the pipes used were transported by rail from Warri Port to various locations, including Kaduna and Kano.
He described the development as a “railway cargo revolution,” aimed at optimizing the rail system for the benefit of Nigerians.
According to him, the railway’s contribution to the GDP is becoming more noticeable, especially in the reduction of transportation costs and, indirectly, prices of goods in the country.
The NRC boss commended the capacity and resilience of Nigerian railway engineers, describing how they had restored broken-down engines on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS), within three days, despite tough working conditions.
He emphasized the need to showcase this capacity and expand it beyond the rail sector.
 Opeifa said the vision is to have a railway system that facilitates economic, regional, and social integration.
He added that if the transport sector’s contribution to GDP reaches at least 6%, it would drive national development and poverty alleviation through lower transportation and logistics costs.
Highlighting practical examples, he spoke of commuters who save up to 50% in travel costs using the rail system.
 Some passengers, he said, travel from Bayelsa to Port Harcourt, board a train to Abuja, and continue their journey north — all with a single ticket, making it both affordable and efficient.
He also mentioned the newly operational Port Harcourt–Aba line, which is already boosting trade and commerce.
Traders are now commuting daily to buy goods and return the same day, thanks to the efficiency of rail services.
Opeifa assured that Enugu and other regions are also part of the expansion plans, with significant investment already committed to infrastructure and modern stations.
 He expressed optimism that in the next two to four years, trains would reach almost every part of Nigeria.
On the issue of vandalism, he decried the frequent attacks on railway assets, especially in the North Central region.
 He stressed that rail infrastructure is a national asset and must not be treated as scrap.
Tampering with the rail lines, he warned, could cause accidents and loss of life.
 Opeifa concluded by urging Nigerians to support the federal government’s rail revolution, assuring that more announcements and projects will roll out in the coming months.
 He said the NRC is determined to provide rail services that are accessible, affordable, and beneficial to all Nigerians.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Analyses

The invisible toll gates:Why National Single Window is Nigeria’s ultimate economic battleground

Monday Discourse with  Ibrahim Nasiru
Walk into any market in Nigeria today, from the commercial hubs of Lagos to the roadside stalls in Yola, and ask why a bag of rice or an imported spare part costs three times what it did last year.
The typical public commentator will blame global inflation, floating currencies, or macro-economic shocks.
But those who understand logistics know the real truth lies buried under layers of paper, manual stamps, and artificial delays at our seaports.
Nigeria’s international trade is suffocating not from a lack of deep water, but from a deliberate design of convenience.
The recent operational rollout of the National Single Window (NSW) has triggered behind-the-scenes panic among Port cartels, and for good reason.
For decades, keeping our clearing processes fragmented, manual, and dependent on desk-to-desk human interaction was the perfect business model for syndicates.
When cargo dwell times drag on for 21 days, those delays are money in the pockets of the gatekeepers and a death sentence for local businesses.
Let us look at the raw field realities. The push by the Nigeria Customs Service to aggressively crash clearance times down to global 48-hour standards is meeting fierce internal resistance.
Why? Because a unified digital ecosystem means you cannot easily manipulate documentation, hide illicit cargo, or demand “mobilization fees” before signing off a container.
The outcry and protests from certain freight-forwarding syndicates aren’t about technical glitches; they are about the sudden closure of invisible toll gates.
This is exactly why governance at our national gateways can no longer be left to the mercy of transactional bureaucratic habits.
Building deep-sea infrastructure like Lekki Port is a massive physical achievement, but concrete and cranes are useless if the administrative processes at the gate remain backward.
 Real structural reform requires turning our Ports into automated, friction-free pipelines that prioritize production over rent-seeking.
If Nigeria wants to survive this fiscal squeeze, the National Single Window cannot just be treated as another glossy IT project launched in Abuja.
 It requires unyielding administrative enforcement to completely dismantle the corrupt cartels managing the manual desk chains.
The invisible toll gates at our Ports must be completely demolished, and that exact same structural discipline must be scaled across our border stations and trade corridors.
The era of managing international trade with 20th-century paper trails is dying. The future belongs to the builders of automated, transparent systems.
Chief Ibrahim Nasiru, a public affairs analyst,  writes from Abuja 
Continue Reading

Headlines

NANTA Exco embarks on seven-day Ghana retreat, fam trip to deepen regional tourism partnership

Gloria Odion, Reporter

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has commenced a seven-day executive retreat and familiarisation (fam) trip to Ghana, hosted by Safari World, as part of efforts to strengthen regional tourism partnerships and expand cross-border travel opportunities.

The NANTA delegation was received at Safari World Homes in Accra by the Chairman of the Safari World Group, Mr. Ernest Gyekye, who expressed delight at hosting the Nigerian travel trade leaders.

He assured the delegation of a memorable experience throughout their week-long stay.

Speaking on the significance of the visit, NANTA President, Mr. Yinka Folami, described the retreat and familiarisation tour as a strategic initiative aimed at fostering stronger business relationships and promoting collaborative tourism development across Africa.

“This mission is not a leisure trip,” Folami said. “It is a deliberate step to implement and expand our association’s marketing advocacy for Nigerian brands across borders.”

He noted that Nigeria and Ghana share deep historical, cultural and commercial ties that should be leveraged to drive tourism growth on the continent.

“Nigeria and Ghana share history, culture, trade and people. The future of our tourism cannot be built in silos,” he said.

“This retreat is about moving from policy to practice—creating real products, real partnerships and real movement of travellers between Accra and Lagos.”

As part of the programme, the NANTA executives will engage in strategic business-to-business (B2B) meetings with their Ghanaian counterparts, tour key tourism destinations under the Safari World brand, and participate in cultural exchange activities designed to promote stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.

The itinerary spans Safari World’s three flagship destinations, including Safari Homes in Accra, the Aqua Safari riverfront experience, Safari Island Cruise, Safari Nautica, and Safari Recreation and Sports facilities in Ada, as well as the Safari Valley Eco Resort and Safari Eco Park in Dawu.

Operating under the brand promise, “One World, Three Destinations, Over 20 Unique Experiences,” Safari World is leveraging the visit to strengthen its footprint in the Nigerian travel market while positioning Ghana as a premier destination for leisure tourism, conferences, group travel, family holidays and premium tourism experiences.

A major highlight of the visit will be the Executive Dinner scheduled for July 21 at the Safari Valley Eco Resort, where key stakeholders from Nigeria and Ghana’s tourism industries will deliberate on strategies for deepening travel trade and advancing regional tourism development.

The familiarisation tour is expected to provide NANTA’s leadership with first-hand knowledge of Safari World’s tourism offerings, paving the way for the development of attractive travel packages and stronger business partnerships that will benefit Nigerian travellers and the wider West African tourism industry.

Continue Reading

Customs

Ogun Customs spurns claims of Smugglers’ takeover of Idiroko–Sango Ota trading Route

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dismissed as false reports alleging that smugglers had taken over the Idiroko–Sango Ota trading route in Ogun State, describing the claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of a traffic incident.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Customs (SC) Chado, the Command clarified that the traffic gridlock on the route resulted from the breakdown of an articulated commercial trailer after it fell into a badly deteriorated section of Atan Road, temporarily obstructing the free flow of traffic.
According to the Command, the vehicles caught in the ensuing congestion were legitimate commercial trucks transporting red palm oil to various local markets and had no connection whatsoever with smuggling activities.
It explained that the large number of heavy-duty trucks trapped in the gridlock may have led some members of the public to wrongly conclude that smugglers had taken over the road.
“The reports that smugglers blocked the road are inaccurate. The disruption resulted from a road accident and poor road conditions. The vehicles involved were lawful commercial vehicles transporting red palm oil for legitimate trade,” Chado stated.
The Command urged journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information before disseminating reports capable of creating unnecessary panic or undermining public confidence in security agencies.
Observers within the border trade sector noted that the allegation does not reflect the prevailing security situation within the Ogun I Area Command, where anti-smuggling operations have been intensified under the leadership of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Comptroller O.O. Afeni.
Since assuming office, Comptroller Afeni has strengthened intelligence-driven surveillance, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and host communities, and sustained pressure on economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors.
These measures, according to stakeholders, have resulted in significant seizures of prohibited goods and reinforced the Command’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and territorial integrity.
Maritime and border trade stakeholders also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of undermining the efforts of security personnel or creating a false impression of lawlessness in border communities.
They stressed that while combating smuggling remains an ongoing responsibility, responsible and accurate reporting is equally critical to ensuring that operational achievements are not overshadowed by misinformation.
The Ogun I Area Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its anti-smuggling campaign while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade in line with the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Continue Reading

Trending