Zaria (Kaduna State): The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, says the Kano–Minna train services will resume before the end of 2025 to boost economic activities in the area.
Opeifa made this known during an official visit to the Northern District Office in Zaria on Friday.
He stated that NRC would also repair the equipment within the Northern Regional District to achieve the set target, adding that the corporation was planning to achieve this target through its 2025 capital expenditure.
“Most of the equipment within the district will be reactivated and put to use before the end of the year,” Opeifa assured.
While unveiling plans to partner with Niger, Kano and Kaduna State Governments to ensure shuttles on Minna-Kaduna route and Kaduna-Kano route, the MD also said that the rail services were now under the concurrent list.
“The NRC will vigorously pursue its railing with state policy towards restoring services on some routes across the country.
“Some states, including Kaduna, already had rail plans, hence the need to strengthen partnership for the smooth operation of the plan.
“NRC will also collaborate with Kaduna State Government to revitalise the railway hospital and support the Police and NSCDC to reduce vandalism of railway properties,” he said.
According to him, the hospital in Zaria was serving not only the railway staff but also the people of Zaria and Sabon Gari Local Government Areas.
Earlier, the Regional District Manager (RDM) for the North, Mr Adewale Rasheed, stated that the northern district was the largest railway district in the country in terms of size and staff strength.
He, however, said: “Unfortunately, the district has nothing to show commensurate with its position.”
He said the staff’s yearning was for the managing director to make the trains run by reactivating routes within the district, stressing that most of the staff had been idle for a long time.
“We want the Lagos-Kano and Kano-Nguru routes to run, Kaduna-Minna and Zaria-Kaura Namoda to also run,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the staff unions, Mr Aminu Abdullahi, Chairman of the National Union of Railway Workers (NUR), Zaria branch, stated that promotion arrears for staff from 2018 had not been paid.
He said besides non-payment of arrears, there was also stagnation in the system, especially among the gangers, lamenting that some of them spent almost 10 years without promotion.
The union leader also called on the managing director to intervene in the activities of the Railway Property Company.
