South-West Devt Commission Set to Become Strong Investor in Rail Transport Infrastructure – NRC Chief

Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has expressed satisfaction that South-West Development Commission (SWDC) is set to become a strong player in rail transport sector.

Opeifa made the declaration when officials of the Commission paid him a working visit on Tuesday at the Headquarters of the Corporation in Lagos.

“The Nigerian Railway Corporation would be delighted to work with the Southwest Development Commission in coming up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the operationalization of some old unserviced railway routes to boost regional rail connectivity,” Opeifa said on the occasion.

The SWDC delegation was led by the Commission’s Managing Director, Mr. Charles Diji Akinola.

Opeifa told the delegation that the management of Nigerian Railway  Corporation is open for business, and stressed that he is happy that SWDC is set to become a strong player in the rail sector.

“We are delighted to see the SWDC take off from where the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission stopped, in the area of developing a master plan for regional rail development for states in the southwest, Opeifa said in a statement issued by NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr. Callistus Unyimadu.

Earlier, the Managing Director of SWDC, Charles Diji Akinola, had said that the Commission was inspired by the extensive work of DAWN in the area of infrastructure and rail transportation development in the six states of the South-West.

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“Regional rail connectivity is key to the economic revitalisation of the southwest,” Akinola stressed.

He disclosed that the Commission’s rail infrastructure development is divided into short, medium and long term.

“On the short term, SWDC seeks to have some old unserviced routes in the southwest ceded to it to operate on profit sharing basis,” Akinola said.

He explained that the commission is interested in reactivating the Osogbo-Dagbolu-Erunmu route, while the Idogo route would also be key in ensuring food security.

Noting that three of the Southwest states Lagos, Oyo and Osun are serviced by rail, the South-West Development Commission leader said the Commission would want to explore maximizing the rails in bringing foodstuffs to Lagos, and in return taking consumer goods from Lagos to the southwest states.

SWDC, he elaborated, is convinced that these routes would spur economic development in the southwest states as they will come under some form of subsidy consideration for the people.

“We want to take up the Idogo route. This route is noted for taking farm produce from our farmers to markets in Lagos, where these food stuffs are in high demand. We want to incentivize agricultural produce and Idogo line would play a major role in that,” he said.

On the medium term, Akinola said the Commission would request operational and track access licences for new routes.

“We are looking at encouraging some investors to come into the rail sector and run the rail lines in the region. This agenda has been advanced by the DAWN Commission in the past.

“We are willing to build new spurs to connect all the states in the southwest to the national lines by rail thereby making the dry port at Omi Adio and in Moniya more active,” he narrated.

The SWDC chief demanded land approvals to encourage the construction of warehouses crucial for the private sector players in developing the commercial side of the railway infrastructure, adding that “this has been tried in Osun, with the establishment of a siding at Dagbolu.”

He underscored the need for the setting up of a technical team with the corporation to jumpstart the dreams of the commission.

Akinola assured that the commission has the full backing of all the South-West States’ governors.

He said l that if implemented, the rail revival project would boost the economy of the region.

Responding, Dr Opeifa said that Nigerian Railway Corporation is determined to work with all federal government agencies and sub-nationals to deepen railway penetration in line with the Presidential mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

He said that rail transport is the biggest contributor to economic development and national integration,.

Opeifa disclosed to the SWDC officials that similar development commissions like the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) have approached NRC management  to seek areas of mutual cooperation and partnership, especially, in reactivating the Eastern routes.

The NRC boss said similar strong efforts is also coming from the Niger State government for the reactivation of the Northern flank of the Lagos-Kano western line that the SWDC has shown interest in, for the movement of agricultural produce to bridge the markets in Lagos and the North.

“What you are asking for is possible and will happen. We have also received your request for an operating track access licences. Our people are already looking at it and I have mandated all our directors to work with your technical team in bringing up the right MOU that would berth all your requests.

“With moving the enabling law from the exclusive to the concurrent list, the Federal Government and the Nigerian Railway Corporation no longer have monopoly of the railway system in Nigeria. All development commissions, state governments, and private sector players are free to play in the sector,” Opeifa added.

He said the NRC has the Track Access Programme which has empowered all the state governments to partner with the corporation to make use of all national rail corridors at no extra cost under the NRC optimizing what “we have and the Railing with the States’ Initiatives.

“Under the Railing With the States initiative, we would be delighted to rail with all the six southwest states under the SWDC,” Opeifa stated.

“The joint team later visited the Lagos Iddo Terminal which is currently undergoing renovation and the Mobolaji Johnson Station at Ebute Metta,” the NRC chief public relations officer wrote in the statement dated 26th November, 2025.