Historic Partnership to Transform Southwest Rail Infrastructure
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has officially announced its commitment to collaborate with the Southwest Development Commission (SWDC) through a strategic Memorandum of Understanding aimed at revitalizing previously unserviced railway routes across Nigeria's southwestern region.
This significant development emerged during a high-level meeting held in Lagos on Wednesday, where NRC Managing Director Dr. Kayode Opeifa welcomed the SWDC management team led by their Managing Director Mr Charles Diji Akinola.
Immediate Plans for Rail Reactivation
Dr. Opeifa expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating that the corporation welcomes SWDC's entry into 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," he affirmed.
According to a statement released by NRC's Chief Public Relations Officer Callistus Unyimadu, the SWDC has outlined a comprehensive three-phase approach to rail infrastructure development:
- Short-term: Reactivate old unserviced routes on a profit-sharing basis
- Medium-term: Secure operational and track access licenses for new routes
- Long-term: Build new spurs connecting all southwest states to national lines
Mr. Akinola specifically identified the Osogbo-Dagbolu-Erunmu route and the Idogo route as priority projects for immediate reactivation. He emphasized that the Idogo line would play a crucial role in ensuring food security by transporting farm produce to markets in Lagos where demand is high.
Economic Impact and Regional Development
The rail revival initiative is expected to significantly boost the southwest's economy by creating efficient transportation corridors for agricultural products and consumer goods. "We want to incentivise agricultural produce and the Idogo line would play a major role in that," Akinola stated.
He revealed that the commission plans to maximize existing rail infrastructure to transport foodstuffs to Lagos while returning consumer goods from Lagos to other southwest states. The initiative will include subsidy considerations to make rail services more accessible to the people.
For medium-term objectives, the SWDC seeks to encourage private investors to participate in the rail sector and build new spurs that will connect all southwest states to national lines. This development is expected to activate the dry ports at Omi Adio and Moniya, enhancing their commercial viability.
The commission has also requested land approvals for warehouse construction, following the successful model established in Osun State with the siding at Dagbolu.
National Rail Policy Shift Enables Collaboration
Dr. Opeifa confirmed that recent policy changes have made such partnerships possible. "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," he explained.
The NRC chief disclosed that similar development commissions, including the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC), have approached the corporation seeking cooperation in reactivating eastern routes. The Niger State government has also shown interest in reviving the Northern flank of the Lagos-Kano western line.
Dr. Opeifa assured that the NRC's Track Access Programme empowers state governments to partner with the corporation at no extra cost under the "NRC Optimising What We Have" and "Railing With the States" initiatives.
"What you are asking for is possible and will happen," Dr. Opeifa declared, confirming that NRC directors have been mandated to work with SWDC's technical team to develop an appropriate Memorandum of Understanding.
The collaborative effort has the full backing of all southwest state governors, and both organizations anticipate that the rail revival will significantly boost regional economic development while enhancing national integration.
Following the meeting, the joint team conducted inspection visits to the Lagos Iddo Terminal, currently undergoing renovation, and the Mobolaji Johnson Station at Ebute Metta to assess existing infrastructure capabilities.
