Connect with us

Headlines

Efforts to Revive the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service: Progress, Promises, and Struggles 

Muhammad Iskeel Abdullahi, 
 Muhammad Iskeel Abdullahi, 
The scene at Idu Train Station in Abuja reflects an institution actively working to recover from a challenging year marked by a major derailment in August 2025.
 Visible repairs, coordinated efforts among staff, and a clear focus on restoration indicate that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is genuinely committed to revitalizing the Abuja–Kaduna train service (AKTS).
However, while tangible progress is evident, deep-rooted structural issues ranging from limited rolling stock to funding constraints continue to hinder full recovery and long-term sustainability.
On the ground, substantial repair work is underway following the August 26, 2025, derailment at Asham, which involved a Kaduna-bound train with 618 passengers.
NRC engineers successfully re-railed and recovered all affected coaches and locomotives shortly after the incident, moving them to workshops for comprehensive repairs.
One previously damaged locomotive has been fully restored and is poised to re-enter service, providing concrete evidence of measurable advancement.
 Mechanics, engineers, and technicians remain actively engaged in rehabilitating other accidented units, demonstrating a committed, hands-on recovery approach.
Service quality on the route has remained consistent in terms of passenger experience; clean coaches, reliable onboard amenities, and adherence to safety protocols, but the frequency has been impacted.
Following resumption on October 1, 2025, operations typically run with two daily round trips (morning and afternoon departures from both Idu and Rigasa stations), with Wednesdays often dedicated to maintenance.
 This reduced schedule stems primarily from a shortage of operational locomotives rather than any intentional reduction in standards.
NRC management has indicated that adding a third daily trip is viable with the availability of a standby locomotive for redundancy, a critical measure to prevent disruptions from mechanical faults.
 Journey times, currently around three  hours (depending on temporary speed restrictions post-derailment), were initially lengthened as a precautionary safety step.
Officials have stated that gradual  reductions in travel time are expected as system confidence builds and repairs stabilize, potentially returning closer to the pre-incident average of about 2 hours and a quarter.
Management’s projections suggest that enhanced frequency, optimized travel times, and improved reliability could be achieved by early 2026, assuming no major setbacks.
Recent initiatives, such as the nationwide 50% Yuletide fare discount in December 2025, have boosted passenger turnout, underscoring demand and operational capability when supported adequately.
Human resource development is another key area. NRC structures training into in-house, local outdoor, and international programs.
Budgetary and logistical limitations have shifted reliance toward weekly in-house sessions to maintain core competencies, sponsored foreign training by CCECC and some few technical partners remain one of the only hope for foreign training.
While in house training  is effective for immediate needs, this falls short of the expected, as there is need for more advanced, hands-on foreign training.
A report from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) following the 2025 derailment highlighted maintenance lapses, though NRC has contested some findings and implemented internal corrections.
The overarching challenge remains government funding, essential for any meaningful rail revival.
Capital-intensive requirements fleet expansion, spare parts procurement, infrastructure upgrades, and advanced staff training cannot rely solely on internal revenue or short-term fixes.
Inconsistent allocations have forced practices like parts cannibalization, where components are stripped from damaged units to keep others running.
 This offers temporary solutions but depletes the asset pool, exacerbating vulnerabilities over time.
Ticket access also demands urgent attention.
 Despite private sector controlled e-ticketing platforms and reduced trips at times, complaints of racketeering persist, with reports of touts and insiders hoarding tickets for resale at inflated prices. Such practices erode public trust, skew passenger data, and undermine revenue integrity.
NRC has previously investigated similar allegations and increased service frequencies to mitigate this, but stronger enforcement and digital improvements are needed.
Fleet age is a defining long-term issue. Introduced primarily in 2016, the core rolling stock is now approaching a decade in service without new equipment acquisition to complement aging ones and to support passengers increasing demands inline with global recommendations for replacement every 4 to 5 years in high-utilization environments (though some standards suggest major overhaul may be recommended).
This aging infrastructure impacts safety, reliability, scheduling flexibility, and growth potential.
In summary, progress at Idu and along the corridor is undeniable: repairs advancing, services resumed with enhanced safety checks, and clear timelines for improvements.
Promises from NRC leadership are specific and tied to achievable milestones.
Yet pitfalls abound limited redundancy, aging equipment, external training training gaps, funding shortfalls, and governance issues like racketeering.
True revival of the Abuja–Kaduna service demands more than NRC’s dedicated efforts; it requires sustained government commitment through predictable funding, strategic fleet renewal, periodic refurbishment institutional reforms, and robust oversight.
Rail transport is inherently capital-intensive, and without shifting from episodic support to a long-term modernization plan, recovery will remain fragile.
Nigerians eagerly awaits the NRC management planned revitalization, restoration, expansion and modernization plans, as they promised to optimize existing infrastructure as well as improving customer experience. The wait is getting too long.
With consistent investment and policy clarity, however, the route can transition from cautious resumption to dependable, high-frequency service, restoring public confidence and unlocking economic benefits for northern Nigeria.
 Muhammad Iskeel Abdullahi is of the Journalists For Development
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